THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


JOHN  BULL'S   CRIME 

OR 

ASSAULTS  ON  REPUBLICS 


BY 

WEBSTER   DAVIS 


THE 

Mbbcy  press 

PUBLISHERS 
114 
FIFTH    AVENUE 
LONDON  NEW  YORK  MONTREAL 


Copyright,  190 1, 

by 

THE 

in 

the 
United  States 

and 
Great  Britain. 


All  Rights  Reserved. 


ALLEN'S  CI:  .,  J.  ^?.r 

412  C0NGBBS8  8T»g  1 


INTRODUCTION 


^ 


AFTER  a  hard  campaign  tour  of  six  weeks  in  Ohio  and 
oilier  states  during  the  months  of  September  and  Octo- 
ber, 1899,  my  physician  in  Washington,  D.  C,  advised 
nie  to  take  a  long  sea  voyage,  in  order  to  get  rest,  as  I  was  on 
the  verge  of  nervous  prostration.  I  immediately  thought  of  a 
trip  to  Cape  Town.  South  Africa,  as  my  old  friend  and  neigh- 
bor. Colonel  J.  G.  Stowe.  United  States  Consul  General  there, 
had  been  writing  letters  for  two  years  urging  me  to  visit  him. 
1  had  been  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Interior  for  three  years 
and  had  never  taken  a  vacation,  while  the  law  entitled  me  to 
thirty  days'  leave  of  absence  and  thirty  days'  sick  leave  each 
year,  therefore  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  was  entitled  to  a  good, 
kng  vacation.  The  President  said  I  had  certainly  earned  it 
and  should  take  it. 

At  that  time  T  knew  but  little  about  the  South  African  war. 
\\'hat  little  I  had  read  was  favorable  to  the  British  side.  It 
was  claimed  by  British  sympathizers  that  the  Boers  were  un- 
couth savages  and  that  the  war  was  waged  against  them  for  the 
purpose  of  civilizing  them.  It  was.  therefore,  a  war  for  hu- 
manity and  ci\ilization.  I  did  not  then  know,  as  I  afterwards 
found  out.  that  no  news  favorable  to  the  poor  Boers  was  per- 
mitted by  the  British  censor  to  pass  through  the  mails  or  over 
the  cables,  and  that  these  avenues  for  news-getting  were  abso- 


on^n^R!^ 


Introduction 

lutely  under  the  control  oi  the  British  officials.  When  I  learned 
all  the  real  facts,  and  the  actual  conditions  prevailing  in  South 
Africa  from  actual  observation,  I  became  thoroughly  convinced 
that  no  people  had  ever  been  so  cruelly  misrepresented  as  the 
Boers,  and  my  sympathies  went  out  to  them  in  their  suffering. 

It  Ts  not  my  purpose  to  heap  abuse  upon  the  people  of  the 
British  Empire,  individually  or  collectively,  for  the  masses  of 
them  are  not  in  entire  sympathy  with  this  war.  Indeed,  many 
of  the  most  beautiful  letters  received  congratulating  me  upon 
the  course  taken  since  my  return  to  America  are  from  men  and 
women  in  England.  What  may  be  written  will  be  directed  not 
against  the  British  people,  but  against  the  British  government — 
against  the  treaty  breakers,  the  empire  builders,  the  republic 
haters,  and  the  liberty  crushers — whose  avarice,  selfishness  and 
greed  have  been  the  cause  of  all  the  sorrow  and  suft'ering  that 
have  come  to  the  homes  of  untold  thousands  not  only  in  South 
Africa,  but  throughout  the  whole  British  Empire. 

That  portion  of  the  following  pages  devoted  to  an  interview 
with  Honorable  F.  W.  Reitz,  State  Secretary  of  the  South 
African  Republic,  is  put  in  his  own  language,  for  the  reason 
that  the  Boer  side  of  the  controversy  jVlaced  before  the  reader 
in  the  language  of  the  ablest  scholar  in  the  Boer  Republic  is 
much  stronger  than  I  can  put  it.  And  as  this  presentation 
covers  the  whole  ground  of  the  dispute  it  is  especially  desirable 
that  the  reader  may  grasp  it  as  easily  as  possible. 

The  sole  purpose  of  this  book  is  to  present  the  true  conditions 
and  real  facts  as  I  saw  them,  in  the  Land  of  the  Boers,  with  the 
hope  that  it  may  be  the  means  of  doing  some  good  in  some  way 
for  the  cause  of  liberty,  justice  and  equality  of  rights,  and  aid 
in  some  manner  in  saving  two  little  republics  from  entire  de- 


Introduction 

struction,  that  they  may  live  on  and  on  to  bless  the  posterity  of 
as  brave  a  band  of  men  and  women  as  ever  appeared  on  the 
stage  of  the  world's  great  theatre  of  action. 

Webster  Davis. 
Kansas  City,  Mo.,  1901. 


A  TYPICAL  BOER  OF  THE  OLD  SCHOOL. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   NOTE. 


T  T'7^  EBSTER  DAVIS,  in  addition  to  being  Anicrican- 
1/1/  horn,  7^'os  horn  an  American,  that  is,  zAtli  a  heart 

^  that    pnlsatcs    z^.'ith    pure    American    hlood    and 

quickens  to  the  inspiration  of  American  sentiment.  An  ad- 
herent of  the  doctrine  tJiat  all  men  are  created  equal  and  that 
no  government  is  good  enough  to  govern  another  without  that 
other's  consent,  it  z^'os  natural  that  lie  should  lift  his  eloquent 
voice  and  pen  in  behalf  of  the  mighty  farmers  of  South  Africa, 
zdio  haz'e  been  making  the  same  tight  and  against  the  same 
pozeer  that  our  Revolutionary  sires  made  for  America  a  century 
and  a  quarter  ago. 

Mr.  Davis  zvould  have  been,  perhaps,  more  in  pocket,  and 
certainly  more  in  political  favor,  after  his  Irip  to  South  Africa, 
had  he  remained,  zvith  the  administration  ami  his  party  leaders, 
in  a  state  of  inocuous  desuetude  on  the  Boer  question.  But 
being  of  that  type  of  men  z^'ho  haz'c  the  courage  of  their  convic- 
tions and  do  not  surrender  them  for  temporary  profit  and 
place,  and  Jiaving  by  personal  investigation  assured  himself  of 
the  righteousness  of  the  Boer  side  of  the  South  African  contro- 
versy, he  freed  himself  of  all  embarrassing  political  entangle- 
ments and  assiu'ialions  in  order  that  he  might  think,  speak  and 
act  as  his  conscience  dictated.  In  this  he  shozced  himself  to 
be  an  American  in  fact  as  zvell  as  in  name — to  the  manner  horn 
as  zcell  as  native  here. 


Biographical  Note 


MR.   DAVIS  VIEWING   BULLER'S   AKM'i'    t  KOM   Sl'IUN    KOP. 


It  r  e  - 
quires  high 
moral  cour- 
age to  fol- 
loiv,  as  he 
did,  dictates 
of  con- 
science 
to  the  ex- 
t e n  t  of 
alienat- 
ing  the  good 
zvill  of  a 
grrat  politi- 
cal organization  in  zvhich  he  had  found  much  preferment  and 
held  the  promise  of  a  prosperous  and  honorable  future. 

AlthougJi  he  gave  up  his  place  as  First  Assistant  Secretary 
of  the  Interior  and  lost  the  eniolunieiits  of  that  office,  zve  believe 
he  thereby  gained  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  American 
people,  because  in  so  doing  he  z^'us  acting  in  accordance  zvith 
his  conz'ictions. 

Whatever  the  readers  judgment  may  be  regarding  the  con- 
clusions arrived  at  in  tJiese  pages,  he  must  surely  commend 
Mr.  Daz'is's  conscientious  course  and  admit  that  he  has  nmde 
out  a  prima  facie  case  for  straightf orwardness  that  entitles 
his  ivord  to  be  taken  as  truth  in  the  statement  of  facts  con- 
tained in  these  pages. 

Concerning  Mr.  Dai'is's  ability  for  the  task  in  hand  his  pub- 
lishers would  remind  the  public  that,  in  addition  to  "  having 
been  on  the  ground,"  Mr.  Davis  is  a  self -nmde  young  man,  an 
eminent  example  of  ivhat  energy,  perseverance,  native  aptitude 


Biographical  Note 


and  indomitable  character  can  do  for  one  in  our  wholesome 
American  environment  even  under  the  most  perverse  adversity. 
He  has  met  zeifh  nuiny  trials  in  his  half  completed  career,  his 
pathzeay  having  been  beset  leith  all  the  obstacles  that  befall 
the  straggler  after  ideals  and  success,  all  of  zvhich  he  has  sur- 
mounted one  by  one,  and  still  possesses  the  intellectual  force  and 
courage  necessary  for  the  battles  yet  to  come. 

All  this  is  due  to  his  parentage,  early  life  and  education. 
He  is  a  Pennsylvanian  by  birth — born  at  Ebensburg,  Cambria 
County,  less  than  forty  years  ago.  IV hen  a  mere  boy,  IVebster 
(he  zeas  most  tittingly  named  for  the  distinguished  orator) 
zi'cnt  to  Missouri,  zehere  as  fanner  boy,  clerk,  shoemaker,  and  in 
other  laborious  capacities,  he  contributed  to  the  support  of  his 
family  and  managed  to  partly  educate  himself,  finally  making 
Jiis  leay  to  Lake  Forest  Uniz'crsity — paying  his  expenses  zeJule 
in  this  institution  by  night  zcork. 

After  leaving 
Lake  Forest,  he 
chose  the  legal  pro- 
fession as  his  z'oca- 
tion,  taking  up  the 
studies  thereof  zcifh 
a  laze  firm.  He 
afterzeards  took  a 
course  at  the  Kan- 
sas State  Uniz'cr- 
sity,  zehich  he  sup- 
plemented by  grad- 
uation from  the 
MR.  DAVIS  AND  ESCORT  ON  TOP  OF  spioN  Kop.         Iqi^j  department  of 

the  Michigan  University,  at  Ann  Arbor, 


Biographical  Note 

He  then  settled  at  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  heginning  the  practice 
of  ills  profession,  in  which  Jiis  ability,  genial  personality  and 
sturdy  intellectual  force  brought  him  into  prominence  and 
public  favor. 

Having  a  genius,  though,  for  oratory,  and  the  legal  profes- 
sion affording  but  a  limited  outlet  for  the  same,  he  took  to 
public  speaking.  His  charming  style,  his  cogent  argument, 
his  dramatic  delivery,  his  telling  clinui.res,  liis  brilliant  and 
eloquent  perorations,  Jiis  powerful  though  leell  modulated  and 
melodious  voice  and  his  splendid  physique  at  once  placed  him 
in  great  demand :  and  to-day  there  is,  perhaps,  i)i  this  country, 
no  more  inspiring,  convincing  or  pleasing  orator  than  the  Hon. 
Webster  Daz'is. 

In  i8q2  Mr.  Davis  zvas  nominated  for  Congress  by  the  Re- 
publicans in  a  hopelessly  Democratic  district,  and  although  he 
was  defeated  he  reduced  the  majority  against  his  party  by  one- 
half. 

In  i8()6  he  came  within  three  votes  of  receiving  the  Repub- 
lican nomination  for  Governor  of  Missouri. 

In  i8()4  he  was  chosen  by  Jiis  party  as  their  candidate  for 
Mayor  of  Kansas  City  and  elected  by  a  majorit\  of  1,000. 
While  Mayor  he  established  many  reforms,  among  them  being 
the  reduction  of  gas  from  Si. 60  to  $1  per  1,000  cubic  feet,  and 
by  the  encouragement  of  competition  it  fell  shortly  thereafter 
to  ^o  cents. 

When  Mr.  McKinley  was  nominated  for  the  Presidencv  in 
i8p6,  he  got  no  abler  support  than  that  giz'cn  him  bv  Mr. 
Davis's  orations  througJiout  the  middle  states,  and  in  recogni- 
tion of  his  great  serz'ices  the  President  made  him  a  monber  of 
his  official  family.  His  efficiency  and  conscientious  fulfilment 
of  his  duties  as  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Interior  are  matters 
of  zvide  repute. 


Biographical  Note 


As  to  his  cs- 
trangemciit  from 
the  McKii  ley  ad- 
iiiiitisfratioii  o  ii 
account  of  tlicir 
attitude  on  the 
Boer  question, 
and  of  Jiis  forever 
renouncing  f  h  e 
Republican  Party 
and  joining  tJie 
Democratic  Party, 
wJioever  may  have 
become  his  enemy 
therefor,  none  can  consistently  withhold  from  him  commenda- 
tion for  conscientious  action. 

Certainly,  the  party  he  has  left  has  every  reason  to  envy  the 
party  he  has  nczcly  joined,  in  which  organisation  he  must 
prove  a  -valuable  and  useful  factor  as  a  democratic  republican, 
a  believer  in  goveriDnent  by  the  consent  and  participation  of  the 
governed. 

Our  advance  orders  on  this  work  haz'c  been  so  extensive  as 
to  zrrx  nearly  exhaust  the  first  edition  and  make  necessary  the 
immediate  preparation  of  a  second,  consequently  the  success 
and  large  sale  of  this  publication  is  assured. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


MR.   DAVIS  SEES  UNBURIED  BODIES  OF  BRITISH  SOLDIERS 
ON   SHION   KOP. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

Voyage  to  South  Africa.  Visit  to  England's  metropolis.  Impressions 
of  British  thought.  America's  seeming  complicity  in  the  Boer  war 
on  account  of  rumored  Anglo-American  alliance.  Reception  by 
British  at  Cape  Town.  Observations  on  their  troops  and  military 
equipment.  Boer  prisoners  of  war  take  heart  at  meeting  an 
American  direct  from  America.  Their  parting  word  is,  "  May 
God  spare  you  to  return  to  America  and  tell  the  great  people  of 
the  greatest  republic  in  the  world  how  we,  the  citizens  of  the  two 
smallest  republics  in  the  world,  are  suffering  for  liberty  and 
independence  I 

CHAPTER  H. 

Natal  and  its  natives.  Facts  of  interest  concerning  Durban.  Arrival 
at  Lorenzo  ^Marquez.  Courteously  invited  by  the  Secretary  of 
State  of  the  South  African  Republic  to  visit  Pretoria  in  President 
Kruger's  private  car.  Enthusiastically  greeted  as  an  American  on 
crossing  border  line  between  the  Portuguese  and  Boer  territory, 
at  Komatipoort — with  a  succession  of  ovations  at  stops  en  route 
and  at  Pretoria  •••.....  .15 

CHAPTER  HI. 

Interview  with  President  Kruger.  The  Boer  side  of  the  controversy. 
England's  policy  of  a  century  toward  the  Boers  one  of  duplicity, 
greed  and  treachery.  Secret  continuous  arming  of  the  Kaffir  races 
by  the  British,  in  violation  of  solemn  treaties,  and  inciting  them 
to  attacks  on  the  Boers  in  order  to  seemingly  justify  British  in- 
terference, which  was  always  a  disguise  for  a  territory  grabbing 
intention  ••••••....    25 


Contents 


CHAPTER  IV. 

PAGE 

Pretoria — Its  inhabitants,  architecture,  fortifications  and  defenses.  Plan 
to  surrender  city  and  retreat  to  mountain  fastnesses — thence  to 
maintain  guerilla  warfare — contemplated  from  the  date  of  the 
breaking  out  of  hostilities.  Boers  slandered  and  their  institutions 
misrepresented  in  order  to  excite  sympathy  for  England's  unspeak- 
able and  inhuman  assaults  on  the  republics.  Principal  newspapers 
printed  in  English  and  English  almost  universally  spoken  among 
the  Boers.  British  Uitlanders  alone  found  fault  with  Transv^aal 
government — American,  French,  German  and  other  Uitlanders  be- 
ing well  satisfied  with  Boers'  laws  and  their  administration  of  jus- 
tice. Their  kind  treatment  of  British  soldiers — testimony  of  British 
officers  and  others  as  to  this  fact.  Falsity  of  the  charge  that  Boers 
had  used  gold  to  purchase  sympathy  of  other  countries,  and  that 
President  Kruger  has  $15,000,000  stored  away  in  Holland  banks. 
Impossible  to  ship  gold  from  Transvaal  without  British  knowledge.     31 


CHAPTER  V. 

Boer  case  as  set  forth  by  Mr.  F.  W.  Reitz,  Secretary  of  State  of  the 
South  African  Republic.  Struggle  of  a  century  against  British 
territorial  encroachments  and  violations  of  conventions.  Britishers' 
boast  of  civilization  in  South  Africa  a  mere  cloak  to  hide  their  spirit 
of  annexation  and  piracy.  To  wait  until  the  Dutch  have  pene- 
trated the  wildernesses,  conquered  the  wild  beasts  and  savages 
and  established  civilized  government  for  themselves,  and  then  to 
take  advantage  of  their  numerical  weakness  and  rob  them  of  the 
results  of  their  toils  and  hardships  and  force  them  again  and 
again  into  unexplored  wilds  to  begin  anew  the  work  of  republic 
building — this  has  been  the  brutal,  thievish,  cowardly  policy  of 
England.  Incited  savages  to  seditious  movements  repeatedly,  en- 
couraging them  to  murder  Boers  and  ravish  their  women. 
Forced  Boers  to  accept  igo.ooo  in  compensation  for  the  seizure 
of  diamond  fields  with  a  daily  output  greater  in  value  than  that 
sum.     Treaties,  annexations  and  suzerainty 42 


Contents 


CHAPTER  VI. 

PAGE 


British  charge  of  incompetence  of  Boer  government  and  laxity  of  its 
administration  in  gold  fields  disproven.  Does  not  suffer  by  com- 
parison with  other  governments,  and  compared  with  its  critics 
shows  to  advantage.  Boers'  innate  sense  of  justice  and  amply- 
demonstrated  capacity  for  self-government.  Untrue  that  they  were 
cruel  toward  natives.  Spirit  of  capitalism  as  incarnate  in  free- 
booters of  the  Cecil  Rhodes  type  alone  responsible  for  difficulties. 
Ceaseless  clash  of  the  two  policies  in  South  Africa— that  of  the 
Boers,  based  on  liberty  and  national  sentiment,  and  that  of  the 
English,  founded  on  financial  interests  and  imperial  jingoism. 
The  suzerainty  dispute.  Just  and  moderate  proposals  of  the  Boers 
for  arbitration.  Chamberlain's  insolent  reply.  His  presumptuous 
claims  and  unreasonable  demands,  notwithstanding  treaty  stipula- 
tions. Lame  and  impotent  pretence  for  grievance  over  the  so- 
called  Lombard,  Edgar  and  Amphitheatre  cases         .         .         .         .62 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

Legions  of  troops  to  "  chastise  a  paltry  30,000  men  and  youths  un- 
trained in  the  murderous  art  of  modern  militarism."  England 
would  be  in  better  business  endeavoring  to  administer  more  just 
government  to  her  own  people  than  in  trying  to  reform  other  gov- 
ernments. Depends  upon  the  charity  of  other  nations  to  feed  her 
starving  millions,  and  her  working  class  is  ground  down  by 
blunted  opportunities  and  despotic  aristocracy         .        .        .        .108 


CHAPTER  VHL 

Zulus  and  Zululand.  Topography,  scenery,  vegetation  and  animals. 
Zulu  manner  of  speech  and  idiomatic  peculiarities.  Names  sym- 
bolical of  characteristics  given  to  all  strangers.  Zulu  nature; 
strange  customs  of  tribes:  their  superstitions  and  religion;  their 
morality,   amiability  and   kindheartedness 113 


Contents 


CHAPTER  IX. 

PAGE 

Ihe  battlefields.  On  the  firing  line  and  in  the  camp  of  the  Boers.  A 
meeting  with  General  Joubert.  Boer  generals  and  troops  an  un- 
ostentatious band  of  mighty  farmers.  Their  wholesome  hospitality. 
Skillful  handling  of  machine  guns  by  Boer  farmer  boys.  Buller 
at  Tugela  River  gr,eatly  harassed  and  nonplussed  by  the  wonder- 
ful skill  of  the  Boers  in  moving  detachments  quickly.  Their  tactics 
and  the  necessity  therefor.  Boer  marksmanship.  British  soldiers 
handicapped  in  marksmanship  on  account  of  clearness  of  atmos- 
phere, so  unlike  that  of  England,  and  unable  therefore  to  judge  of 
distances.     Some  clever  horse-stealing.     The  Boer  bivouac    .        .  133 


CHAPTER  X. 

Johannesburg,  the  centre  of  the  mining  region  of  the  Witwatersrand. 
Farewell  to  officials  at  Pretoria.  Citizens  of  the  little  republics 
tearfully  implore  that  the  people  of  the  United  States  be  told  the 
truth  concerning  their  struggles  against  their  oppressors.  Macrum- 
Hay  incident.  A  promise  to  do  all  possible  to  enlist  American 
sympathy  for  the  Boers.    Return  to  America.    Resignation  of  office    147 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Orations  at  Washington,  Philadelphia,  New  York,   Kansas  City    (be- 
fore National  Democratic  Convention),  St.  Louis,  and  Omaha      .  152 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

A  Free  State  Commando  at  Ladysmith S6 

A  Typical  Boer  of  the  Old  School xi 

Another  Part  of  Spion  Kop — Dead    British    Soldiers i66 

Armed    Boers  and  Officials   of  Pretoria  and  Funeral  Parade  of   General 

Koch 158 

Arrival  of  Red  Cross  Train  at  Pretoria  with  Boer  Wounded 154 

Boers  and  Nordenfeld-Maxim 56 

Boers  at  Colenso 144 

Boer  Boys — Positions  of  the  Firing  Line 138 

Boer  Envoys  :    C.  H.    Wessels,  Abraham    Fisher,  A.  D.  W..  Wolmarans, 

J.  M.  De  Bruyn 2 

Boer  Father  and  Son — Noted  Scouts xvii 

Boer  Father  and  Two  Sons — Scouts 151 

Boer  Fort  at  Mafeking 38 

Boer  Guns  Ready  to  Leave  Pretoria  for  the  Front 100 

Boers  in  Battle 140 

Boers  in  Trenches  at  Mafeking 40 

Boers   in   Trenches  at   Mafeking 146 

Boer  Laager  near  Mafeking i 

Boer  Mountain  Gun 214 

Boers  Preparing  Supper 24 

Boer  Red  Cross  Car 22 

Boer  Red  Cross   Wagon 34 

Boers  Shipping  Horses  to  the  Front 68 

Boer  Squad  in  Charge  of  Cannon '. 18 

Bodies  of  British  Soldiers  on  Spion  Cop 186 

Body  of  General  Joubert   Being  Received  at  Pretoria 222 

British  Armored  Car 30 

British  Armored   Train  at  Mafeking 8 

British  Prisoners  from  Nicholson  Kop  Arriving  at  Pretoria 142 

British  Prisoners  in  Barbed  Wire  Enclosure 60 

British  Prisoners  Surrounded  by  Barbed  Wire  and  Guarded 18S 

Captured  British  Cannon 174 

Cannon  Kop  at  Mafeking 14 

Commandant  Trichard  and  Staff  and  His  Son,  12  Years  of  Atje 14 

Crowding    into   Cattle   Cars    to   Get    Away  from  Johannesburg  on  First  128 

War  Scare 128 

De  Ammunitie  Trein go 

Driegeslagten  in  den  Corlog.      (The  three  generations  in  armsi rgo 


List  of  Illustrations 

PAGE 

Fort  Der  Boeren ,  Mafeking io8 

Funeral  of  Boer  Soldiers  at  Pretoria 72 

Funeral  of  General  Joubert  at  Pretoria 152 

Funeral  of  General  Joubert — The  Casket So 

Funeral  of  General  Koch 178 

Funeral  of  General  Koch,  Killed  in  Battle 150 

Funeral  of  General  Koch — The  Flower   Laden  Casket 52 

General  Joubert  and  Staff  at  New  Castle 136 

General  Lucas  Meyer,  Prominent  Boer  Commander 10 

General  Snyman,   General  Botha 112 

Group  of  Zulus 124 

Head  of  General  Joubert's  Funeral  Procession 1 70 

Hollander  Corps  at  Pretoria 64 

How  England  Annexes  Gold  and  Diamond  Fields 210 

Howitzer  in  the  Boer  Fort 48 

Irish  Brigade  of  Boer  Army — Mr.  Davis  Right  of  the  Flag g6 

"  Long  Tom,"  in  Charge  of  Boers  en  route    to  Modder  River 104 

More  British  Prisoners  Arriving  at  Pretoria 2i3 

Mr.  Davis  and  Escort  Ascending  Spion  Kop  After  Battle 61 

Mr.  Davis  Sees  Unburied  Bodies  of   British   Soldiers  on  Spion  Kop xiii 

Mr.  Davis  Viewing  Buller's  Army  from  Spion  Kop xiv 

Mr.  Davis  and  Escort  on  Top  of  Spion  Kop xv 

Mr.  Webster  Davis Frontispiece 

Mrs.    President  Kruger 30 

Native  Woman  Carrying  Water 120 

Officers  of  the  Brave  Irish  Brigade,  near  Ladysmith 134 

Oom  Paul   Kruger,  President  of  the  South  African  Republic 30 

Patriots  at  Colensc 92 

President  Kruger  on  the  Porch  of  His  Cottage 162 

President  Kruger's  Carriage  and  Body-Guard 28 

Pretoria  Citizens  Welcoming  Train   Bringing    Boers   Wounded   at  Spion 

Kop 202 

Receiving  British  Prisoners  at  Pretoria 182 

"  Rabbit    Hole,"  Hiding   Place  of  Baden-Powell    During    Bombardment 

of  Mafeking 12 

Some  of  the  Sieging  Boers  near  Ladysmith 76 

Some  Who  Do  Not  Share  in  the   Profits   of  Conquest — Unburied   Eight 

Days  After  Battle 194 

Street-Car  of  Funchal,  Capital  of  Madeira  Island 6 

The  Famous  "  Long  Tom,"  Mafeking 44 

The  Irish  Brigade — Mr.  Davis  Directly  Under  Peak  of  Right-Hand  Tent.  132 

Tugela  River  Bridge 82 

Tugela  River  Bridge  After  it  was  Destroyed  by  Boers 198 

Unloading  British  Prisoners  from  Train  at  Pretoria 14S 

W^hat  the   Diamond   and   Gold    Fields  Cost — Britishers   Unburied   Eight 

Days  After   Battle  of  Spion  Kop 146 

Within  the  Boer  Laager  near  Ladysmith xxiv 

Wounded  Burghers  in  Pretoria  Red  Cross  Hospital 206 

Zulu  Mother  and  Child 116 


JOHN  BULL'S  CRIME 


CHAPTER  I. 

Voyage  to  South  Africa.  Visit  to  England's  metropolis.  Impressions  of 
British  thought.  America's  seeming  complicity  in  the  Boer  war  on 
account  of  rumored  Anglo-American  alliance.  Reception  by  British 
at  Cape  Town.  Observations  on  their  troops  and  military  equipment. 
Boer  prisoners  of  war  take  heart  at  meeting  an  American  direct  from 
America.  Their  parting  word  is,  "  May  God  spare  you  to  return  to 
America  and  tell  the  great  people  of  the  greatest  republic  in  the  world 
how  we.  the  citizens  of  the  two  smallest  republics  in  the  world,  are 
suffering  for  liberty  and  independence." 

OX  December  6,  1899,  I  sailed  from  New  York  011  the 
American  Steamer  St.  Paul.  After  an  uneventful 
voyage  of  eight  days  we  landed  at  Southampton, 
England.  As  passage  on  an  outgoing  steamer  for  Cape  Town 
could  not  be  secured  for  several  days,  I  visited  London.  In 
that  great  metropolis  of  England,  at  that  time,  the  people  gen- 
erally seemed  very  much  excited  over  the  news  that  the  papers 
were  publishing  from  South  Africa,  and  reports  issued  daily 
by  the  war  office  were  not  at  all  satisfactory  to  them.  In  the 
clubs,  in  the  hotel  lobbies,  on  the  streets,  in  fact,  everywhere, 
could  be  heard  a  strong  murmur  of  disappointment,  dissatisfac- 
tion and  distrust.  Oftentimes  such  expressions  of  disapproval 
were  heard  as,  "  I  wonder  if  our  soldiers  are  going  to  let  the 


2  John  Bull's  Crime 

Boer  savages  whip  them?  "  and  "Is  it  possible  that  Buher  is 
going  to  allow  the  heathen  to  eat  him  up  blood  raw?"  and 
'■'  I  am  afraid  this  is  a  terrible  mess  our  government  has  got  us 
into,  and  it  looks  as  though  we  were  in  a  very  bad  piece  of 
business."  These  and  many  other  similar  expressions  indi- 
cated that  the  British  people,  in  the  lesser  walks  of  life  espe- 
cially, were  not  entirely  pleased  with  the  way  things  were  going. 
Another  thing  that  was  very  noticeable  was  the  seeming  effort 
on  the  part  of  the  London  people  to  make  it  appear  that  they 
were  counting  much  upon  the  friendship  of  the  United  States 
government  in  their  war  against  the  citizens  of  the  two  little 
South  African  republics.  They  seemed  to  be  in  great  fear 
that  some  of  the  great  powers  of  Europe  w^ould  intervene  in 
behalf  of  the  Boers,  and  to  them  it  seemed  that  there  was  no 
place  to  look  to  for  sympathy  but  the  United  States  of  America. 
The  speeches  that  Mr.  Joseph  Chamberlain  had  made  contained 
many  references  to  the  friendly  relations  existing  between  the 
British  Government  and  the  Government  of  the  United  States. 
Indeed,  it  had  been  asserted  by  Mr.  Chamberlain  that  there 
was  an  understanding  between  the  two  governments.  This, 
of  course,  made  the  people  think  that  the  people  of  the  United 
States  were  their  friends  and  supporters  and  sympathizers  in 
their  unholy  war.  They  seemed  not  to  expect  any  sympathy 
from  any  other  country  in  the  world,  hence  they  looked  upon 
all  Americans  with  great  favor.  But,  notwithstanding  that 
feeling  toward  Americans,  they  were  so  egotistical  and  over- 
bearing that  an  American  could  not  converse  with  them  more 
than  a  few  minutes  at  a  time  without  being  insulted  by  them, 
because  of  their  domineering  ways.  Unconsciously  they  would 
refer  to  the  United  States  and  its  people  as  inferior.  In  fact, 
you  would  think,   in  listening  to  their  references  to  certain 


BUER  EXVOYS. 

C.  H.   ^VESSELS.  ABRAHAM  FISHER. 

A.  D.   ir.   irOLMARAXS.  J.  M.  DE  BRUYN. 


Voyage  to  South  Africa  3 

parts  of  our  own  country  and  to  its  people,  that  we  were  more 
or  less  in  a  savage  state,  and  that  we  were  scarcely  superior  to 
the  Boers. 

The  nig-ht  before  leaving  London,  at  the  request  of  some 
American  friends,  I  visited  the  Empire  Theatre,  and  there, 
between  the  acts,  witnessed  a  most  singular  spectacle.  An 
American  actress,  who  seemed  to  be  quite  well  known  to  the 
English  nobility,  was  requested  to  recite  "  The  Absent  Minded 
Beggar."  On  the  stage,  standing  immediately  behind  her, 
were  two  squads  of  soldiers,  one  in  the  American  uniform,  the 
other  in  the  British  uniform.  At  the  head  of  one  squad  was 
the  British  flag,  at  the  head  of  the  other  was  the  American  flag. 
At  the  close  of  her  recitation  the  actress  stepped  back  behind 
the  two  flags  and  tied  their  corners  into  a  knot,  while  the  audi- 
ence arose  to  their  feet  and,  led  by  the  orchestra,  sang  with 
great  enthusiasm  "  God  Save  the  Queen  "  and  "  Rule  Bri- 
tannia." 

To  me  that  scene  was  not  an  inspiring  one.  For,  when  I 
remembere'd  that  my  ancestors  fought  and  died  to  make  my 
flag  the  flag  of  the  greatest  republic  in  all  the  world,  and  fought 
against  the  same  monarchy  that  endeavored  to  make  that 
Union  Jack,  which  appeared  on  this  occasion  tied  to  my  flag, 
rule  triumphantly  over  my  republic  as  a  British  colony ;  and 
when  I  remembered  that  this  American  flag,  now  joined  with 
the  British  flag,  the  symbol  of  tyranny  and  oppression,  had 
always  been  regarded  heretofore  as  the  emblem  of  freedom  and 
as  the  banner  of  a  "  go\'ernment  of  the  people,  by  the  people 
and  for  the  people."  and  that  to  liberty-loving  people  every- 
where its  stars  had  always  appeared  as  the  morning  stars  of 
God  and  its  stripes  as  beams  of  morning  light,  it  seemed  to 
me  that  it  had  a  tendency  to  make  it  appear  that  the  people  of 


4  John  Bull's  Crime 

our  republic  were  in  sympathy  with  a  monarchy  in  its  efforts 
to  crush  two  Httle  repubhcs  modeled  and  patterned  after  our 
own  republic,  and  which  was  endeavoring  to  rob  and  murder 
the  men  and  women  and  children  of  those  two  little  republics, 
who  were  making  the  same  fight  for  liberty,  for  home,  for  jus- 
tice and  for  equality,  and  for  republican  form  of  government, 
as  our  fathers  made  in  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  when  in 
1776  they  performed  deeds  of  valor  that  wedded  their  names 
to  glory  and  undying  fame. 

Being  exceedingly  anxious  to  reach  Cape  Town  at  the  ear- 
liest possible  moment,  I  secured  passage  on  the  first  steamer 
bound  for  Cape  Town,  which  happened  to  be  the  British 
steamer  Mexican.  On  the  Mexican  were  several  American 
passengers,  some  who  had  been  for  years  in  the  employ  of  the 
British  capitalists  in  South  Africa  and  who  were  returning  to 
their  places  of  employment  after  a  visit  to  their  homes  in  Amer- 
ica. The  rest  of  the  passengers,  with  the  exception  of  twO' 
Dutch  families  whose  homes  were  in  Cape  Colony,  were  all 
Britishers. 

The  Mexican  proved  to  be  the  worst  steamer  on  the  Union 
Line  of  steamers  plying  between  England  and  South  Africa. 
The  captain  and  his  associate  officers  assured  us,  however,  that, 
though  she  was  \-ery  old,  she  was  seaworthy,  that  she  had  stood 
many  storms  in  her  time. 

Passing  through  the  Bay  of  Biscay  we  encountered  a  very 
rough  sea,  which  appeared  for  a  time  almost  too  much  for  this 
ancient  vessel.  The  passengers  were  tossed  about  like  lemons 
in  a  torrent,  and  all  were  very  seasick. 

Among  the  British  passengers  were  many  sons  of  the  British 
aristocracy  who  were  going  to  South  Africa  to  enlist  in  the 
various    regiments    and    to    seek    commissions    in    the    army. 


Voyage  to  South  Africa  5 

Among  them  was  the  son  of  an  Enghsh  baron  whose  chief  dis- 
tinction was  that  he  was  the  husband  of  Lily  Langtry,  the 
actress.     He,  too.  was  going  to  war. 

After  a  few  days  we  approached  the  Madeira  Islands.  It 
was  getting  dark  as  the  vessel  passed  the  first  islands  of  the 
group,  which  are  known  as  the  Desertas.  and  which  are  unin- 
habited. Passing  by  these,  we  came  into  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  harbors  in  the  world,  and  approached  Funchal,  the 
chief  city  of  the  Madeiras.  It  presented,  indeed,  a  rare  and 
beautiful  sight.  The  city  seemed  to  appear  as  a  magnificent 
semi-circular  panorama,  the  houses  apparently  being  one  upon 
the  other,  reaching  from  the  water's  edge  to  the  summit  of  the 
mountain  that  composed  the  backbone  of  the  island.  Thou- 
sands of  lights  sparkled  here  and  there.  We  cast  anchor  and 
did  not  land  until  the  next  morning. 

The  islands  known  as  the  Desertas  appeared  like  huge  rocks 
rising  perpendicularly  out  of  the  w'ater.  One  of  them  had  the 
appearance  of  a  great  table.  In  fact,  it  was  as  level  on  the  top 
apparently  as  any  table.  These  islands  have  no  inhabitants 
on  them  with  the  exception  of  a  rare  species  of  mountain  goat 
which  are  found  there  occasionally.  The  only  islands  of  the 
group  inhabited  are  iMadeira  and  Porto  Santo.  Madeira  is  the 
largest  of  the  group,  and  is  about  thirteen  miles  wide  and  thirty 
miles  long.  Its  highest  mountain  is  six  thousand  and  one 
hundred  feet. 

The  islands  abound  in  beautiful  scenery,  and  as  you  approach 
from  the  east  the  scenery  seems  to  change  continually  like  a 
wonderful  panorama.  The  islands  belong  to  Portugal,  and 
they  are  said  to  contain  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
inhabitants.  Funchal,  the  capital,  has  a  population  of  about 
thirty  thousand.     It  is  a  very  picturesque  town,  situated  in  a 


6  John  Bull's  Crime 

spacious  and  vast  amphitheatre  of  which  the  blue  sea  forms 
the  floor. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  vessel  a  great  number  of  little  boats 
plied  by  half  naked  boys  came  off  from  the  shore  to  meet  it, 
and  for  a  shilling  offered  to  carry  us  to  the  shore.  Many  of  the 
little  boats  came  alongside  of  the  steamer  loaded  with  all  sorts 
of  souvenirs  manufactured  in  that  city  and  for  sale  by  the  half 
naked  natives.  Among  the  articles  offered  for  sale  by  these 
boys  were  embroidery,  lace,  jewelry  and  most  beautiful  wicker 
chairs,  many  of  which  were  purchased  by  the  passengers  to  use 
on  deck  of  the  vessel  during  the  remainder  of  the  voyage. 
Many  naked  little  boys  were  in  the  boats,  and  for  pennies  or 
sixpences,  which  were  thrown  by  the  passengers  into  the  sea, 
would  dive  for  them,  and  amid  the  shouts  of  the  passengers 
would  in  a  few  seconds  return  to  the  surface  of  the  water 
holding  up  the  coins  in  their  hands.  On  the  shore  were  many 
bazaars  where  various  kinds  of  Portuguese  manufactures  were 
on  sale. 

The  most  interesting  object  to  visit  in  the  city  was  the 
Church  Nossa  Senhora  de  Monte,  to  which  the  narrow  railway 
leads  from  the  water's  edge.  The  church  is  situated  near  the 
top  of  the  mountain,  and  the  view  from  that  point  is  extremely 
fine.  The  church  is  very  old,  and  it  is  almost  a  work  of  an- 
tiquity.    It  was  built  by  the  Catholics. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  modes  of  travel  in  Funchal  is  by 
a  small  sled  with  two  seats,  drawn  by  a  couple  of  bullocks  and 
driven  by  two  small  half  clad  native  lads,  one  of  whom  whips 
the  bullocks,  the  other  standing  on  the  rear  part  of  the  sled 
guiding  it  and  also  plying  the  brakes  as  it  goes  down  the  hillside 
over  the  roadway,  over  the  streets,  covered  as  they  are  with 
small  cobble  stones.    It  was,  indeed,  a  unique  w^ay  of  traveling. 


Voyage  to  South  Africa  7 

The  marketplaces  were  filled  with  tropical  and  other  fruits, 
and  the  public  gardens  were  beautifully  laid  out. 

Madeira  is  known  throughout  the  world  as  a  great  health 
resort,  and  many  of  the  English  aristocracy  spend  their  winters 
there. 

One  of  the  most  obnoxious  things  encountered  there  was  the 
large  number  of  beggars.  Old  beggars,  middle-aged  beggars 
and  young  beggars,  the  lame  and  the  halt  and  the  blind,  would 
fairly  cling  to  one's  clothing  as  they  passed  along  the  thorough- 
fares, following  in  great  crowds  and  begging  for  alms.  If  a 
coin  was  thrown  to  one  it  seemed  as  though  a  thousand  other 
beggars  sprang  into  existence  from  the  very  cobblestones  in  the 
streets.  The  truth  is  that  all  visitors  were  so  harassed  by 
these  unfortunate  creatures  that  they  were  all  glad  to  return 
to  the  Mexican. 

On  the  evening  of  the  next  day  after  our  arrival  at  Funchal 
we  proceeded  on  our  way  and  touched  no  other  point  until  we 
reached  Cape  Town.  After  a  two  weeks'  voyage  we  entered 
Table  Bay  and  anchored  at  Cape  Town. 

I  spent  eight  or  nine  days  there  visiting  the  city  and  suburbs, 
.and  found  them  most  delightful.  It  being  the  summer  season, 
of  course  the  weather  was  quite  warm,  and  the  heat  in  the  city 
was  almost  unbearable,  but  in  the  suburbs,  amid  the  groves, 
flowers,  trees  and  shrubbery,  it  was  very  delightful. 

Table  Bay,  which  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  bays  in  the 
world,  seemed  almost  covered  with  great  English  warships  and 
transports,  this  being  the  port  where  nearly  all  the  British  sol- 
diers were  landed.  The  first  object  of  special  attraction  upon 
entering  Table  Bay  is  the  famous  Table  Mountain.  This  moun- 
tain enables  Cape  Town  to  rank  with  Naples,  Rio  Janeiro  and 
San  Francisco  in  beauty  and  grandeur.     It  seems  to  furnish 


8  John  Bull's  Crime 

a  great  background  for  the  city,  rising  solitary  and  alone  to  the 
height  of  three  thousand  five  hundred  and  eighty-two  feet. 
Its  sides  are  cut  with  ravines,  while  vegetation  covers  its  entire 
surface.  Many  varieties  of  wild  flowers,  the  most  beautiful  in 
Africa,  grow  upon  its  sides  and  summit.  The  head  of  the 
mountain  greatly  resembles  the  head  of  a  majestic  lion.  It  is 
therefore  called  Lion's  Head,  whilst  the  tail  is  known  as  Devil's 
Peak.  One  of  the  strangest  phenomena  ever  witnessed  is  the 
tablecloth  upon  Table  Mountain.  This  is  caused  by  the  clouds 
hovering  upon  the  summit  of  the  mountain  and  lapping  over 
its  crest  in  such  a  peculiar  manner  as  to  represent  a  great  table- 
cloth spread  carelessly  over  its  top.  Around  its  base  are  sev- 
eral beautiful  drives  of  many  miles  in  extent. 

The  City  of  Cape  Town  is  very  much  like  many  of  our 
American  cities  of  the  same  size,  that  is,  fifty  thousand.  About 
one-half  of  the  population  are  of  European  extraction.  A 
large  proportion  of  them  are  Malays  and  Negro  natives. 

Of  the  suburbs  of  Cape  Town  probably  the  most  interestmg 
is  Stellenbosch,  which  is  an  ancient  city  of  about  six  thousand 
inhabitants.  With  the  exception  of  Cape  Town  this  is  the  old- 
est settlement  in  South  Africa.  \^an  der  Stael  settled  there  in 
1681  and  named  it  after  himself  and  wife,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Bosch.  The  people  who  settled  in  that  city  were  the 
pioneers  of  civilization  in  South  Africa,  and  they  waged  a 
continuous  warfare  against  Bushmen  and  Hottentots.  It  is  a 
typical  old  Dutch  settlement.  In  the  center  of  the  town  there 
is  a  large  common.  The  city  is  famous  for  its  magnificent 
oak  avenues.  Majestic  oak  trees  over  two  hundred  years  old 
line  all  the  upper  streets  of  the  city.  The  houses  are  old-fash- 
ioned, in  fact,  quite  ancient,  with  very  small  panes  of  glass  in 
the  windows.     The  roofs,  many  of  them,  are  made  of  thatch. 


Voyage  to  South  Africa  9 

There  are  several  colleges  and  institutions  of  learning  located 
in  this  town.  The  city  and  community  are  noted  for  the 
splendid  fruit  produced  thereabouts.  It  is  especially  famous 
for  its  production  of  strawberries. 

Another  place  that  is  especialh^  interesting  in  the  vicinity 
of  Cape  Town  is  the  suburb  known  as  Rondesbosch.  It  has 
a  population  of  about  thirty-five  hundred  and  is  situated  five 
miles  from  Cape  Town.  In  this  little  city  are  to  1:)e  found  th.e 
most  attractive  villas  and  mansions  found  in  South  Africa. 
Numbered  among  them  is  Grooteschuur,  the  residence  of  Cecil 
J.  Rhodes.  It  was  originally  an  old  Dutch  farm  house,  which 
was  purchased  by  Rhodes  and  remodeled  after  the  old  Dutch 
style.  The  extensive  grounds  are  composed  of  parks,  which 
are  filled  with  all  kinds  of  deer,  elk,  antelope,  and  in  fact  almost 
every  variety  of  wild  beast  to  be  found  in  South  Africa.  It  is 
a  veritable  menagerie  or  zoological  garden.  The  great  trees, 
hundreds  of  years  of  age,  rise  majestically,  like  sentinels  stand- 
ing guard  over  this  picturesque  country  place.  Flowers  and 
shrubbery  of  every  variety  known  in  South  Africa  grow  about 
in  great  profusion,  while  gravel  driveways  and  walks,  spark- 
ling springs  and  shady  nooks,  with  here  and  there  a  herd 
of  cattle,  make  it  one  of  the  most  picturesque  homes  in  the 
world. 

Another  place  of  interest  near  Cape  Town  is  Robben  Island, 
situated  at  the  mouth  of  Tal)le  Bay,  which  is  famous  because 
of  its  being  the  place  where  the  great  lighthouse  is  situated, 
and  also  because  several  of  tlie  great  native  chieftains  in  the 
past  were  kept  here  in  cajjtivity.  the  most  eminent  of  which  was 
the  chief  known  as  Linksh,  who  was  drowned  while  attempting 
to  escape  from  the  island.  Of  late  years  Ro])ben  Island  has 
been  used  as  an  asylum  for  lunatics  and  lepers.     During  mv 


lo  John  Bull's  Crime 

visit  there  I  saw  over  eight  hundred  lepers,  most  of  them 
negroes.     They  are  cared  for  by  the  Cape  Colony  government. 

Another  interesting  point  near  Cape  Town  is  Simon's  Town, 
some  twenty-five  miles  from  the  Cape.  It  is  the  headquarters 
of  the  Cape  and  West  Coast  naval  squadron.  It  has  a  large 
bay,  and  at  the  time  of  my  visit  was  filled  with  British  war- 
ships and  transports.  In  company  with  the  United  States 
Consul  General,  I  visited  the  British  fleet  at  that  town,  and  was 
entertained  by  Admiral  Harris,  who  was  in  command. 

While  there  we  visited  some  three  or  four  hundred  Boer 
Ijrisoners,  who  were  imprisoned  on  the  Transport  Catelonia. 
These  were  the  first  prisoners  captured  by  the  British.  Chief 
among  them  was  Colonel  Shiel.  As  these  were  the  first  Boers 
I  had  ever  seen  I  noticed  them  carefully.  ^Nlost  of  them  were 
stalwart  men,  towering  above  six  feet  in  height,  broad  shoul- 
dered, and  without  surplus  flesh.  They  all  wore  heavy  beards 
and  were  poorly  clad  in  cheap  farmers'  garbs.  They  appeared 
to  me  like  plain,  honest,  kind-hearted  farmers,  almost  exactly 
like  the  farmers  we  see  in  the  western  part  of  our  own  country. 
They  seemed  very  modest  and  rather  timid  in  the  presence  of 
the  British  officers.  Their  eyes  filled  with  tears  and  their  faces 
lighted  up  with  a  hopeful  expression  when  I  was  introduced 
to  them  as  an  American.  And  when  I  left  the  vessel  I  noticed 
that  thev  were  crowded  together  in  the  old  hulk  very  much  as 
sardines  are  packed  in  a  box,  and  their  food  was  certainly  not 
of  the  best.  And  when  I  looked  upon  these  men  who  had  been 
accustomed  to  the  broad  veldt  and  the  pure  air  of  the  Transvaal 
and  Orange  Free  State  homes,  their  custom  as  it  were  to  live 
in  the  pure  air,  in  the  open  field,  without  knowing  what  it  was 
to  be  crammed  in  close  quarters,  it  seemed  to  me  that  it  must  be 
almost  impossible  for  them  to  endure  long  their  close  captivity. 


GENERAL  LUCAS  MEYER,  PROMIXEXT  BOER  COMMAXDER. 


Voyage  to  South  Africa  1 1 

And  as  I  left  the  prison  vessel  to  enter  the  steam  launch  to  go 
to  sliore,  many  a  stalwart  Boer  grasped  me  by  the  hand  and 
said :  "  Alay  God  spare  you  to  return  t(j  America  and  tell  the 
great  people  of  the  greatest  republic  in  the  world  how  we,  the 
citizens  of  the  two  smallest  republics  in  the  world,  are  suffering 
for  liberty  and  independence."  And  even  after  we  had  landed 
at  the  railway  station  and  boarded  the  train  to  return  to  Cape 
Town,  as  we  sped  awav  at  a  rapid  rate,  until  our  train  dis- 
appeared out  of  the  sight  of  the  captive  ship,  we  saw  the  hands 
of  the  Boer  prisoners  extended  out  of  the  port  holes  waving 
us  a  last  farewell. 

In  the  Cape  I  was  treated  very  cordially  l)y  the  British  offi- 
cials. I  found  Sir  Alfred  Milner,  the  British  Governor  of 
Cape  Colony,  a  most  able,  affable,  genial  gentleman.  He  im- 
pressed me  as  being  a  man  of  great  ability,  and  an  exceedingly 
clever  diplomat.  His  frankness  was  especially  notable.  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  being  his  guest  at  a  public  dinner  and  was 
s]K)wn  every  courtesy  by  him.  He  also  honored  me  with  an 
invitation  to  meet  Lord  Roberts  and  Lord  Kitchener,  who  ar- 
rived in  Cape  Town  the  day  before  I  left  it.  The  American 
residents  of  the  city  als)  tendered  me  a  public  banquet  at  the 
City  Club,  at  which  Sir  Alfred  iMilner  and  the  Lord  iNIayor  of 
Cape  Town  were  guests,  and  publicly  extended  me  a  cordial 
welcome  to  the  city. 

While  there  I  also  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  much  of  the 
British  army.  I  met  many  of  the  distinguished  commanders 
and  many  of  the  now  famous  troops.  Among  them  a\  as  a  regi- 
ment of  Uitlanders  encamped  near  Stellenbosch  under  command 
of  Colonel  Seymour.  Colonel  Seymour  invited  Consul  Stowe 
and  myself  to  visit  the  camp,  which  we  did  and  took  dinner 
with   them.      \\'e   found   them   a   jolly   lot   of   fellows,   mo.stly 


'poni  ^ 


12  Jol^r^  Bull's  Crime 

British  and  a  few  x\mericans  among  them,  most  of  them  from 
Johannesburg.  They  were  men  who  had  been  employed  in 
the  mines  at  Johannesburg,  most  of  them  as  superintendents 
and  high  officers  in  the  employ  of  British  companies  who  owned 
the  large  mines  there.  These  Americans  were  friendly  to  the 
British  cause,  for,  in  fact,  they  were  in  the  employ  of  the 
British,  some  of  them  receiving  large  salaries.  Colonel  Sey- 
mour was  reported  to  be  receiving  a  salary  of  $50,000  a  year 
to  superintend  the  mines  of  a  large  British  company.  These 
Americans,  of  course,  because  of  their  being  in  the  employ  of 
Britishers,  were  ardent  sympathizers  of  the  British  cause.  They 
were  drilling  every  day  and  preparing  to  go  to  the  front.  I 
understood  they  were  to  construct  bridges  for  the  troops  to 
cross  from  Cape  Colony  into  the  Orange  Free  State  and  the 
Transvaal.  Colonel  Seymour  was  a  most  affable  gentleman, 
a  typical  American.  A  brother  of  his,  of  New  York  City,  was 
once  Commissioner  of  Patents  at  Washington.  I  felt  very 
sorry  to  see  this  splendid  American  engaged  in  assisting  the 
British  in  their  unholy  war.  I  am  sorry  to  note  that  in  the  last 
few  months  the  newspapers  report  that  the  Colonel  was  killed 
in  a  battle  on  Modder  River. 

After  a  very  interesting  and  pleasant  sojourn  in  Cape  Town, 
1  took  leave  of  Consul  General  Stowe  and  his  family,  who  had 
been  very  kind  to  me  during  my  visit,  and  took  passage  on  the 
steamer  Dunnottar  Castle,  the  ship  that  a  few  days  before  had 
brought  Lord  Roberts  and  Lord  Kitchener  to  South  Africa, 
and  started  for  the  Transvaal. 

I  had  been  advised  by  the  British  officials  and  the  American 
residents  of  Cape  Town  not  to  attempt  to  go  to  the  Boer 
country.  They  said  I  would  surely  be  killed  if  I  made  the 
attempt,  for,  said  they,  the  Boers  cannot  speak  the  English 


Voyage  to  South  Africa  i  3 

language  and  they  will  not  let  you  cross  the  horder  of  their 
country,  because  when  they  find  you  can  speak  the  English 
language  they  will  not  only  refuse  to  let  you  cross  the  border, 
but  they  will  probably  kill  you,  because  they  are  very  savage. 
I  concluded  that  I  did  not  like  to  return  to  America  without 
seeing  something  of  the  Boers,  so  I  determined  to  endeavor  to 
make  them  a  visit.  At  this  point  I  wish  to  say  a  word  in  behalf 
of  Consul  General  Stowe.  Before  taking  my  departure  I  tele- 
graphed a  request  to  the  state  department  at  Washington  to 
permit  General  Stowe  to  accompany  me  to  the  Transvaal.  I 
did  this  for  the  reason  that  the  Consul  General  had  informed 
me  that  he  had  not  had  a  vacation  since  he  had  l)een  in  South 
Africa  and  under  the  laws  was  entitled  to  a  vacation.  He  had 
been  working  hard  and  had  been  ill  for  several  weeks  before 
I  landed  there,  and  I  feh  that  he  was  very  much  in  need  of  a 
rest,  and  I  concluded  als.)  that  there  could  be  no  possible  objec- 
tion to  the  government  permitting  him  to  accompany  me  on  a 
visit  to  Pretoria.  The  ref|uest  was  promptly  denied  by  the 
Secretary  of  State.  In  this  connection  I  desire  to  sav  that  in 
my  judgment  our  nation  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  its  treatment 
of  our  consuls  in  South  Africa.  For  instance,  at  Cape  Town, 
the  business  of  the  United  States  ranks  second  to  that  of  Great 
Britain,  and  our  consul  is  compelled  to  work  almost  night  and 
day  in  order  to  attend  to  that  business,  and  in  addition  thereto 
he  is  besieged  by  throngs  of  Americans  who  are  stranded  in 
the  country  who  come  to  him  for  aid.  For  all  this  work  the 
consul  general  is  paid  but  $3,000  per  annum,  and  is  not  even 
furnished  with  a  house  to  live  in. 

And  yet,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  business  trans- 
acted at  the  United  States  consulate  ranks  next  to  that  of 
Great  Britain,  and  while  our  consul  receives  but  $3,000  per 


H 


John  Bull's  Crime 


annum  without  house  rent,  the  consul  of  the  little  country  of 
Belgium  receives  nearly  twice  as  large  a  salary  as  our  consul. 
And  not  only  is  this  true  of  Belgium,  but  it  is  true  of  many 
of  the  other  small  countries.  The  same  thing  is  true  at  Pre- 
toria and  Lorenzo  Marquez.  "There  the  Belgian  consul  and 
the  Italian  consul  and  several  other  foreign  representati\'es  re- 
ceive twice  as  much  salary  as  our  own  representatives,  and  are 
also  furnished  houses  to  live  in,  the  rent  being  paid  by  their 
respective  governments. 


r-^.V.VO.V  KOP  AT  MA  PEKING. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Natal  and  its  natives.  Facts  of  interest  concerning  Durban.  Arrival  at 
Lorenzo  ]\Iarqiiez.  Courteously  invited  by  the  Secretary  of  State  of 
the  South  African  Republic  to  visit  Pretoria  in  President  Kruger's 
private  car.  Enthusiastically  greeted  as  an  American  on  crossing 
border  line  between  the  Portuguese  and  Boer  territory,  at  Komatipoort 
— with  a  succession  of  ovations  at  stops  en  route  and  at  Pretoria. 

THE  first  port  reached  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Africa  was 
Port  Ehzabeth.  At  the  landing-  I  was  met  by  Mr. 
Chebord,  United  States  A^ice  Consul,  and  the  mayor  of 
the  city,  who  conducted  me  to  the  City  Ckib,  where  the  chief 
business  men  of  the  cit}-  had  assembled  to  tender  me  a  welcome 
to  the  city  and  also  a  dinner.  After  the  dinner  I  w^as  driven  by 
the  mayor  and  the  vice  consul  o^•er  the  city  and  was  shown 
many  objects  of  interest,  among  them  being  the  public  build- 
ings, large  mercantile  establishments,  beautiful  parks,  and  the 
city  museum,  in  which  was  a  vast  collection  of  very  curious 
productions  of  South  Africa.  Possibly  the  most  interesting 
place  visited  was  that  part  of  the  city  known  as  the  native  quar- 
ters, which  consists  of  innumerable  huts  fashioned  somewhat 
after  the  style  of  the  wigwam  of  the  American  Indian.  In 
these  quarters  was  assembled  a  vast  multitude  of  black  men, 
women  and  chiklren,  most  of  them  being  almost  naked  and 
living  in  filth  and  wretchedness. 

Port  Elizabeth  is  a  very  attractive  place  and  much  business 
is  carried  on  there.  In  1896  the  customs  receipts  were  more 
than  nine  hundred  and  thirty-four  thousand  pounds  sterling, 

^5 


1 6  John  Bull's  Crime 

and  the  imports  amounted  to  almost  nine  million  pounds  ster- 
ling. I  was  told  by  the  mayor  that  five  or  six  thousand  emi- 
grants were  landed  in  the  bay  in  1820.  The  sandy  shores  and 
bleak  hillocks  at  that  time  were  covered  only  by  a  few  huts 
built  around  the  small  block  house,  Fort  Frederick.  From  that 
day  the  port  has  grown  steadily,  and  by  the  energy  and  enter- 
prise of  its  inhal)itants  has  earned  the  title  of  the  Liverpool  of 
South  Africa. 

After  a  very  pleasant  day  spent  here  w^e  went  on  to  the  Port 
of  East  London,  where,  after  a  few  hours'  stop,  we  sailed  on  to 
Durban. 

The  firs'  object  of  special  interest  on  approaching  Durban 
by  sea  is  the  expansive  Itarbor  w^orks,  which  were  commenced 
in  1857  with  a  view  to  the  removal  of  the  bar  which  obstructs 
tlie  entrance  to  the  fort  and  of  deepening  the  bay  itself.  The 
bar  caused  by  the  sandy  bottom  of  this  part  of  the  coast  is  per- 
petually changing,  and  heavy  seas  have  always  a  tendency  to 
lessen  the  depth  of  the  w^ater.  The  principal  works  are  the 
Innes  Breakwater  and  the  North  Pier.  The  former  extends 
from  the  foot  of  the  hhiti  to  a  distance  of  1800  feet  into  the 
sea  exclusive  of  shore  works,  and  overlaps  the  end  of  the  Xorth 
Pier,  which  starts  from  the  extremity  of  the  Point.  The  total 
cost  of  all  these  works  and  buildings  connected  with  the  port  up 
to  the  present  time  amounts  to  almost  one  million  pounds  ster- 
ling. That  this  ex]:ienditure  was  necessary  is  proven  by  the 
fact  that  during  the  year  1895  fo"r  hundred  and  thirty-five 
steamers  and  eighty-three  sailing  vessels  entered  this  harbor. 

The  town  of  Durban  and  its  suburbs  is  among  the  most 
pleasant  of  places  to  live  in,  the  climate  being  very  healthful, 
though  at  times  the  heat  is  intense.  Yet  in  the  Winter  months 
the  thermometer  averages  about   seventy- four  degrees.     The 


Received  by  the  Boers  17 

streets  of  the  city  are  well  paved  and  well  lighted.  The  resi- 
dence portion,  situated  upon  the  hills,  was  indeed  exceedingly 
attractive.  Almost  every  variety  of  fruit  known  to  tropical 
climates  is  produced  in  this  vicinity — the  mango,  rose  apple, 
pineapple,  banana,  custard  apple,  soursop,  pawpaw,  guava, 
grenadilla,  amatungula,  loquat,  shaddock  and  maartje.  Ber- 
ries of  every  description  are  also  produced.  Pears  and  apricots 
grow  in  large  quantities. 

There  are  many  local  industries,  chief  among  them  being  the 
large  institutions  where  jams  and  preserves  are  made,  and  they 
have  won  a  great  reputation  for  their  excellence. 

The  public  buildings,  museums,  libraries,  churches  and 
schools  are  large  and  expensive. 

One  of  the  chief  objects  of  interest  in  Durban  is  the  large 
number  of  Zulus  called  ricksha  boys,  each  of  whom  takes  a 
position  like  a  horse  in  the  shafts  of  a  two-wheel  cart  called  the 
jinricksha  and  carries  a  person  all  over  town  for  a  sixpence  or 
a  shilling.  These  boys  are  among  the  finest  specimens  of  physi- 
cal manhood  I  have  ever  seen.  Their  forms  are  almost  per- 
fect. They  average  about  six  feet  in  height,  stand  erect 
and  straight  as  an  arrow,  and  are  natural  athletes.  They 
can  travel  almost  as  fast  as  an  ordinary  horse,  and  it  is  a 
strange  sight  to  see  them  speeding  along  the  streets  in  great 
numbers,  with  their  heads  covered  with  tassels,  plumes,  and 
ostrich  feathers,  with  their  brown  bodies  entirely  naked  with 
the  exception  of  a  small  breech  clout. 

As  a  number  of  passengers,  together  with  myself,  were  rid- 
ing in  the  jinrickshas  along  the  principal  streets  of  Durban 
about  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  we  approached  a  large  jam 
and  preserve  factory,  and  we  noticed  that  the  native  laborers, 
who  were  all  Zulus,  were  just  quitting  their  work  and  were 


i8  John  Bull's  Crime 

emerging  from  the  large  building  in  great  numbers.  In  a  few 
moments  some  hundred  or  hundred  and  fifty  of  them  stopped 
in  the  street  close  to  the  building  from  which  they  had  emerged 
and  suddenly  began  a  Zulu  war  dance.  They  formed  a  ring, 
and  while  the  majority  of  them  began  to  sing  a  strange  Zulu 
war  song,  one  by  one  some  dozen  stalwart  Zulus  entered  the 
circle  and  began  to  dance.  It  seemed  like  pandemonium  turned 
loose  as  the  swarthy  black  men  swung  around  the  circle  with 
eves  apparently  on  fire,  red  lips  dripping  foam  and  their  white 
teeth  gleaming  like  polished  ivory,  forcing  their  great  bodies 
mto  all  sorts  of  contortions,  finally  falling  prostrate  upon 
their  faces  in  the  dust.  Then  others  would  take  their  places 
and  go  through  the  same  ordeal,  while  all  the  time  the  sur- 
rounding Zulus  were  filhng  the  air  with  their  strange  song  and 
clapping  their  hands. 

After  witnessing  this  scene  for  some  time,  one  of  the  English 
bvstanders  threw  a  shilling  high  in  the  air.  that  it  might  fall  in 
tlie  midst  of  the  Zulus.  Then  there  was  such  a  good  natured 
rush  for  the  shilling  by  the  natives  that  for  a  time  they  were 
lost  in  a  cloud  of  dust  as  they  scrambled  on  the  earth  heedless 
whether  or  not  they  would  crush  each  other  to  death  as  they 
struggled  to  possess  the  shilling.  Finally  a  swarthy  young 
fellow  with  a  broad  grin  held  his  hand  above  the  rest  with  the 
shilling  tightly  gripped  between  his  thumb  and  finger,  announc- 
ing to  the  bystanders  that  he  was  the  \'ictor.  Then  other  by- 
standers threw  shillings,  sixpences  and  pennies  for  some  time, 
until  becoming  w^eary  of  the  sport  we  turned  away. 

After  a  short  visit  to  the  British  colony  of  Xatal,  I  took  pas- 
sage on  the  German  steamer  Hertzog,  which  a  few  days  before 
had  been  oxerhauled  by  the  British  warships  who  were  looking 
for  guns  and  ammunition  supposed  to  be  carried  by  the  Hertzog 


Received  by  the  Boers  19 

fof  the  Boers,  and  the  following  clay  1  arrived  at  Delagoa  Bay. 
The  bay  was  full  of  British  warships,  which  were  closely 
guarding  the  entrance  to  the  harbor.  The  British  officials 
seemed  very  alert  and  watchful,  and  it  was  impossible  for  any 
person  to  go  into  or  out  of  the  harbor  with  so  much  as  a  collar 
box  without  their  knowing  its  contents.  Lorenzo  Marquez  is 
a  Portuguese  possession,  and  is  the  home  of  the  Portuguese 
Governor,  and  also  at  this  time  was  the  residence  of  the  Gov- 
ernor General  of  the  Portuguese  territory  in  South  Africa.  It 
is  noted  chiefly  as  being  one  of  the  hottest  places  in  South 
Africa,  and  one  of  the  most  unhealthful,  because  of  the  lack  of 
drainage  and  the  swampy  territory  surrounding,  which  cause 
malarial,  typhoid  and.  in  fact,  all  kinds  of  South  African  fevers 
to  be  epidemic  during  the  Summer  season,  many  deaths  occur- 
ring daily. 

I  received  a  hearty  welcome  by  the  Portuguese  officials. 
Shortly  after  my  arrival  at  the  hotel.  I  was  visited  by  the 
consul  of  the  South  African  Republic  located  there  and  shown  a 
telegram  from  Honorable  F.  \\'.  Reitz.  Secretary  of  State  of 
tlie  South  x\frican  Republic,  dated  at  Pretoria,  inviting  me  to 
become  the  guest  of  the  government  during  my  visit  to  the 
republic,  and  stating  that  if  I  accepted  the  invitation.  President 
Kruger  would  send  his  private  car  to  Lorenzo  Marcjuez  the 
next  day  to  convey  me  to  Pretoria.  As  I  had  already  accepted 
the  hospitality  extended  me  by  the  British  and  Portuguese  offi- 
cials, though  it  was  distinctly  understo(xl  that  I  was  not  travel- 
ing as  a  Ll'nited  States  official,  but  simply  as  a  private  citizen  in 
search  of  health  and  recreation.  I  concluded,  therefore,  that 
there  could  be  nothing  improper  whatsoever  in  accepting  this 
invitation.  I  accordingly  told  the  consul  that  I  would  be  ready 
to  leave  the  next  day. 


20  John  Bull's  Crime 

At  the  appointed  time  I  boarded  the  President's  car  at  the 
railway  station,  and  found  it  an  elegant  one.  well  stocked  with 
provisions,  and  in  charge  of  a  stalwart  Dutch  porter,  who  ac- 
corded his  only  passenger  the  best  of  treatment  (in  the  jour- 
ney. Passing  through  the  Portuguese  territory,  the  first  town 
we  reached  in  the  land  of  the  Boers  was  Komatipoort.  which 
is  situated  on  the  border  line  between  the  Portuguese  territory 
and  the  South  African  Re])ublic. 

As  the  train  came  to  a  stop,  being  seated  on  the  observation 
part  of  the  private  car  at  the  extreme  rear  end  of  the  train,  I 
looked  ahead  and  saw  a  large  crowd  of  people,  men  and  women, 
standing  on  the  platform  and  anxiously  looking  into  the  car 
windows  of  the  coaches  aliead  of  mine.  Presently  I  saw 
them  hastening  to  the  President's  car.  The  head  man,  a  largfe 
farmer  with  heavy  beard,  said : 

"  Are  you  Mr.  I)a\-is  from  America?  " 

"  I  am."  I  said. 

"  I  am  the  Field  Cornet  of  this  district,"  he  said,  "  and  these 
are  the  Boers  and  their  families  who  are  yet  at  home,  and  they 
have  come  to  the  station  to  bid  you  welcome  to  their  countrv." 

Before  he  had  spoken  so  kindly.  I  confess  I  was  a  little  bit 
worried,  for  I  noticed  some  of  the  men  had  rifles  in  their  hands 
and  some  had  rifles  strap])ed  on  their  backs.  I  remembered 
what  the  British  officials  had  said  in  Cape  Town,  that  the  Boers 
were  savage,  and  that,  if  T  could  speak  English  onlv.  thev 
would  probably  kill  me.  When  T  saw  these  stalwart  men.  I 
began  to  fear  my  time  had  come.  So  that,  when  the  Field  Cor- 
net spoke  to  me  in  the  language  with  which  I  was  familiar.  I 
was  greatly  astonished,  nnd  immed-ately  inquired  if  he  and  his 
companions  were  real  Boers.  He  laughed  and  said  that  they 
were,  and  immediatelv  commenced  to  introduce  me  to  the  men 


Received  by  the  Boers  21 

and  women  who  crowded  up  to  shake  hands  with  me  and  wel- 
come me  to  their  country.  Imagine  my  surprise  when  I  found 
that  they  ah  spoke  my  language  as  well  as  I  did.  They  were 
not  savages,  as  I  had  been  led  to  believe  they  were,  but  they 
were  simply  plain,  kind  farmers,  just  like  the  farmers  I  had 
been  accustomed  to  all  my  life.  They  said  they  were  glad  to 
see  a  man  from  America.  They  said  they  were  passing  through 
a  terrible  ordeal;  that  they  had  sent  their  loved  ones  to  the 
front  and  many  were  soon  to  follow,  to  fight  and  die  for  their 
independence  and  for  tlieir  beloved  repulDlic.  They  seemed 
very  confident  of  success  and  were  boasting  that  their  young 
republic  was  going  to  imitate  the  great  republic  in  America, 
and  that  some  day  the  Republic  of  South  Africa  would  be 
famous  like  the  Republic  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

After  a  stop  of  some  half  hour  or  more,  the  train  sped  on 
its  way,  and  at  every  station  at  which  the  train  stopped  during 
the  day  I  was  accorded  the  same  reception  by  the  men  and 
women  who  had  assembled  to  welcome  me  that  I  received  at 
Komatipoort.  It  seemed  that  some  one  had  sent  the  informa- 
tion from  Pretoria  to  the  people  along  the  railway  line  that  a 
citizen  of  America  was  on  his  way  to  visit  their  country,  and 
the  people  seemed  to  so  love  the  Republic  of  the  United  States 
of  America  and  its  people,  because  they  knew  that  the  people 
in  America  had  gone  through  the  same  struggle  the  Boers  are 
passing  through  now.  and  against  the  same  British  aristocracy, 
that  they  felt  sure  that  any  one  coming  from  America  was  their 
friend  and  would  sympathize  with  them  in  their  struggle. 

About  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  after  an  all  day  ride 
through  the  hot  African  sun,  we  neared  the  loftiest  range  of 
mountains  in  the  Transvaal,  about  midway  between  Pretoria 
and  Delagoa  Bay.     As  there  is  no  twilight  in  South  Africa, 


22  John  Bull's  Crime 

the  darkness  of  night  comes  on  there  suddenly.  Just  as  it  was 
getting  dark  we  approached  a  Httle  village  nestling  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountain  range.  It  was,  indeed,  a  pretty  spot.  On  one 
side,  stretching  far  away  toward  Komatipoort,  was  the 
1)road  veldt  with  much  the  appearance  of  our  expansive  western 
prairies.  Then  came  the  majestic  mountains  rising  almost 
abruptly  like  a  great  wall.  And  amid  the  trees  and  flowers 
blooming  everywhere,  and  by  the  side  of  a  mountain  stream, 
almost  at  the  foot  of  one  of  the  most  picturesque  of  water- 
falls in  South  Africa,  was  the  little  city  called  Watervalonda, 
meaning  the  city  located  at  the  foot  of  the  falls.  Here  the 
train  stopped  for  the  night,  as  an  order  had  been  issued  that  no 
trains  should  travel  during  the  night,  because  of  the  fear  of 
bridges  being  destroyed  by  British  agents.  At  this  station  I 
was  met  b}^  a  large  number  of  people  and  given  a  most  kindly 
greeting.  I  was  conducted  to  the  hotel  nearby,  where  a  splen- 
did supper  had  been  prepared  for  my  especial  benefit,  the  hotel 
keeper  having  received  a  telegram  from  Secretary  Reitz  re- 
questing him  to  entertain  me.  Here  I  met  with  a  most  agree- 
able surprise,  for  I  found  the  hotel  keeper  a  kind,  jovial  Amer- 
ican who  had  lived  in  the  Transvaal  for  many  years  and  was  a 
most  enthusiastic  sympathizer  and  friend  of  the  Boers. 

Early  the  next  morning  the  train  started  for  Pretoria.  By 
many  wonderful  curves  we  succeeded  in  reaching  the  mountain 
top,  passing  through  some  of  the  most  picturesque  scenery  that 
I  had  ever  beheld,  rivaling  in  beauty  the  marvelous  scenery  of 
our  own  Rockv  Mountains.  On  the  summit  we  came  to  another 
little  city,  called  Watervalboven,  meaning  the  city  above  the 
falls. 

Our  course  then  lay  through  mountains,  picturesque  hills  and 
fertile  valleys,  and  then  over  the  broad  expanse  of  veldt,  passing 


Received  by  the  Boers  23 

through  many  prosperous  looking  towns  and  cities,  wherever 
the  train  stopped  receiving  the  same  welcome  from  the  people, 
and  at  many  places  witnessing  sad  scenes  which  called  to  mind 
the  awful  suffering  and  hardships  of  war.  I  remember  at  one 
station  I  noticed  especially  an  old  farmer  whose  hair  and  beard 
were  as  white  as  snow,  with  eyes  that  seemed  fierce  looking. 
With  a  nervous  step  he  w^alked  to  and  fro  on  the  long  station 
platform  with  two  bandoliers  of  cartridges  thrown  over  his 
shoulders,  and  his  trusty  rifle  in  his  hand.  Noticing  that  his 
white  slouch  hat  had  a  very  wide  band  of  new  crape  around  it, 
I  hailed  him  and  said : 

"  My  friend,  why  do  you  wear  the  crape  around  your  hat?  " 

His  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  he  said : 

'*  ]My  dear  son  Jan  was  killed  yesterday  in  battle  on  the 
Tugela  River  and  I  am  going  to  take  his  place." 

Then  he  walked  away. 

About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  at  the  city  of  Middle- 
burg  my  car  was  boarded  by  a  dozen  gentlemen,  the  one  in  the 
lead  introducing  himself  as  Mr.  W.  J.  Hollis,  United  States 
Consul  at  Lorenzo  Marcjuez,  but  who  was  then  acting  consul 
at  Pretoria  instead  of  Consul  Macrum.  who  had  lately  re- 
turned to  America.  Consul  Hollis  introduced  me  to  his  com- 
panions, who  were  all  Americans  from  Pretoria  and  Johannes- 
burg, who  had  been  appointed  a  committee  to  meet  me  and  es- 
cort me  to  Pretoria.  My  delight  knew  no  bounds  at  meeting 
these  jovial  Americans  in  the  Transvaal,  so  many  thousands  of 
miles  away  from  the  land  of  their  birth.  I  found  that  they  had 
been  in  that  country  many  years.  Alost  of  them  had  prospered 
among  the  Boers,  and  every  one  of  them  was  an  enthusiastic 
outspoken  cham]:)ion  of  the  Boers.  They  seemed  as  glad  to 
meet  me  as  though  I  had  been  a  member  of  their  own  family, 


24  John  Bull's  Crime 

and  I  had  been  so  lono:  amono-  the  British,  German,  French, 
Italians  and  natives  that  my  joy  at  meeting  these  typical  Amer- 
icans was  indeed  very  great. 

At  Pretoria  we  were  met  by  the  officials  of  the  government, 
and  some  twehe  or  fourteen  hundred  people,  men  and  women, 
had  assembled  at  the  station  to  welcome  us  to  the  capital  of  the 
South  African  Republic.  Secretarv  Reitz  and  the  other  offi- 
cials had  arranged  to  escort  me  to  the  hotel  as  their  guest,  but 
Consul  HoUis  and  his  charming  wife  insisted  that,  being  an 
American,  I  must  1)e  their  guest  at  the  consulate.  The  officials 
then  accompanied  me  to  the  consulate,  and  after  placing  a  car- 
riage at  my  disposal  and  making  arrangements  to  meet  me  next 
morning,  when  I  was  to  proceed  to  pay  my  respects  to  Presi- 
dent Kruger,  we  shook  hands  all  around  in  the  good  old-fash- 
ioned American  way  and  they  took  their  departure. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Interview  with  President  Kruger.  The  Boer  side  of  the  controversy. 
England's  poHcy  of  a  century  toward  the  Boers  one  of  duplicity,  greed 
and  treachery.  Secret  continuous  arming  of  the  Kaffir  races  by  the 
British,  in  violation  of  solemn  treaties,  and  inciting  them  to  attacks 
on  the  Boers  in  order  to  seemingly  justify  British  interference,  which 
was  always  a  disguise  for  a  territory  grabbing  intention. 

THE  next  day,  in  the  company  of  Air.  Groebler.  Secretary 
of  Foreign  Affairs,  I  called  upon  President  Paul  Kru- 
ger. As  the  President  refrains  from  the  use  of  the 
English  language,  Secretary  Groebler  acted  as  interpreter. 
After  a  pleasant  greeting,  the  President  said  to  me : 

"  One  hundred  or  so  years  ago  the  people  of  the  United  States 
Republic  were  compelled  to  fight  the  same  British  nation  to 
secure  their  liberty  that  we  are  now  fighting,  hence  your  peo- 
ple ought  to  sympathize  with  this  little  sister  re]mblic  which  has 
dared  to  fight  a  mighty  power  to  maintain  its  own  independ- 
ence. 

"  The  main  question  in  dispute  between  this  g-overnment  and 
that  of  England  was  in  regard  to  the  franchise.  I  have  always 
been  willing  to  have  this  question  and  others  settled  by  arbitra- 
tion, but  England  has  always  'declined  arbitration.  At  the 
very  start  we  wanted  the  President  of  the  United  States  of 
America  to  intervene  as  arbitrator.  Nothing  would  please  us 
better,  and  we  would  be  perfectly  satisfied  to  abide  by  his  de- 
cision. The  franchise  law  adopted  by  the  legislature  at  the 
commencement  of  the  present  year  would,  according  to  the 

25 


26  John  Bull's  Crime 

existing  lists  of  field  cornets,  give  the  vote  to  fifty  thousand 
new  electors;  and,  as  there  are  only  thirty  thousand  of  the 
older  inhahitants  on  the  voters'  lists,  this  would  immediately 
have  given  a  superiority  in  numbers  to  the  new  population. 
Instead  of  accepting  this,  the  British  nation  has  declined  and 
forced  us  into  war  by  bringing  thousands  of  troops  into  South 
Africa  and  up  to  our  borders  with  the  avowed  object  of  forcing 
us  to  do  whatever  it  considers  right. 

"  During  this  century  there  are  three  stages  which  charac- 
terize the  relations  of  the  British  government  with  our  people. 
The  first  stage  began  in  1806  and  lasted  to  the  second  half  of 
the  century.  During  this  period  British  policy  toward  our  people 
is  marked  by  a  simple  contempt.  '  The  stupid  and  dirty  Dutch  ' 
was  the  simple  idea  then  prevalent  in  the  British  mind  respect- 
ing our  little  people.  According  to  the  hypocritical  nature 
of  British  policy,  however,  this  contempt  was  expressed  in 
terms  of  the  loftiest  ideas  then  prevailing  in  the  civilized  world. 
A  sentimental  philanthropy  then  ruled  in  the  civilized  world 
and  was  used  by  the  British  government  to  represent  the  Boers 
to  mankind  as  the  oppressors  of  the  poor,  peaceful  natives,  so 
amenable  to  religion  and  civilization,  and  in  every  respect  men 
and  brothers.  If  it  should  appear  inexplicable  why  the  power 
that  under  the  treaty  of  Utrecht  stood  forth  as  the  unblushing 
champion  of  negro  slavery  distinguished  itself  in  South  Africa 
by  a  nauseous  love  for  the  native,  then  the  explanation  is 
that  in  this  latter  case  it  was  not  so  much  love  for  the  native  as 
hatred  and  contempt  for  the  Boer  which  characterized  its 
South  African  policy.  As  a  result  of  that  hatred  toward  the 
Boer,  concealed  under  that  simulated  love  for  the  native,  the 
natives  were  used  as  police  against  us,  were  furnished  with 
weapons  of  war  .and  ammunition,  and  incited  to  fight  us  and. 


Interview  with  President  Kruger  27 

where  possible,  rob  and  murder  us.  As  a  result  of  that  hatred 
our  people  were  obliged  to  bid  farewell  to  Cape  Colony  with 
all  that  they  loved  and  cherished,  and  to  seek  a  refuge  in  the 
unknown  wildernesses  of  the  North,  and  as  a  result  of  that 
hatred  our  people  had  to  continue  their  crusade  of  martyrdom 
over  South  Africa  until  every  jjart  of  South  Africa's  soil  was  to 
be  reddened  with  the  blood,  not  so  much  of  able-bodied  men,  as 
of  murdered  women  and  children. 

"  The  second  stage  lasted  till  1881.  During  this  period  the 
basis  of  British  policy  toward  us  was  not  so  much  simple 
hatred  of  the  Afrikander  (history  had  already  shown  that  that 
hatred  was  powerless  to  keep  the  Afrikander  down)  ;  on  the 
contrary  it  had  contributed  greatly  toward  dispersing  the 
Afrikanders  as  the  ruling  race  over  the  whole  of  South  Africa. 
In  a  moment  of  apathy  and  thoughtless  disinterestedness  Eng- 
land had  entered  into  treaties  (1852.  1854)  with  the  Boers  by 
which  they  were  placed  in  possession  of  certain  wild  and  seem- 
ingly useless  parts  of  the  country.  The  basis  of  the  policy  of 
the  second  stage  was  a  feeling  of  remorse  over  this  mistake  and 
a  firm  resolve  to  forestall  the  consequences  thereof.  The  wild 
and  useless  parts  assigned  to  the  Boers  proved  to  be  very  valu- 
able after  these  Boers  had  opened  them  up  to  civilization ;  they 
ought  therefore  again  to  sparkle  as  pearls  in  Her  ^^lajesty's 
crown  in  spite  of  the  treaties  entered  into  with  the  Boers.  This 
was  the  disguised  object.  As  to  the  means  employed,  innate 
hypocrisy  caused  these  means  to  be  partly  disguised  and  partly 
open,  and  the  one  kind  of  means  to  differ  essentially  from  the 
other.  The  disguised  means  was  to  arm  the  Kaffir  races 
against  us  in  an  unprecedented  manner,  in  spite  of  solemn  trea- 
ties and  promises,  and  to  incite  them  to  attack  us.  If  this 
policy  was  successfully  carried  out.  then  England  could  conceal 


28  John  Bull's  Crime 

her  true  object  and  means,  and  openly  come  forward  for  the 
preservation  of  peace  and  order  and  for  the  maintenance  of 
civihzation  in  this  part  of  the  world,  and  could  annex  the  re- 
publics on  such  false  pretences.  As  regards  the  Orange  Free 
State,  this  policy  was  a  failure,  as  the  above  burghers  of  the 
neighboring  republic,  after  great  trouble,  succeeded  in  defeating 
Moshesh,  notwithstanding  the  unlawful  stoppage  of  their  arms 
and  ammunition  by  the  British  government.  England  was  in 
that  case  compelled  to  rest  satisfied  with  the  protection  of  her 
Basuto  interests  and  the  prevention  of  all  the  advantages 
which  the  Boers  might  have  derived  from  their  victory, 
and  with  the  openly  illegal  annexation  of  the  diamond  fields. 

"  As  regards  the  South  African  Republic,  her  burghers  were 
unfortunately  not  careful  enough  to  guard  against  this  in- 
sidious policy  of  the  enemy.  The  Transvaal  Boers  had  de- 
feated the  mightiest  Kaffir  tribes,  and  therefore  never  for  a 
moment  dreamed  that  the  small  Kaffir  wars,  into  which  they 
were  drawn  by  the  English  inciting  the  Kaffirs,  and  which  were 
not  immediately  put  down  by  every  possible  means,  would  be 
used  as  a  pretext  to  annex  their  country  to  the  British  Empire. 
Thus  the  Magato  war  and  the  Secucuni  war  dragged  on  to  the 
endless  satisfaction  of  Sir  Theophilus  Shepstone  and  his  prin- 
cipals. And  thus  the  annexation  came  about  with  the  '  exten- 
sion of  Her  Majesty's  jurisdiction  and  protection  over  the 
South  African  Republic,  by  which  means  alone  unity  of  pur- 
pose and  action  could  be  secured,  and  a  beautiful  prospect  of 
peace  and  prosperity  for  the  future  could  be  opened  up.'  In 
these  words  of  Shepstone's  annexation  proclamation  we  see  in 
all  its  hideous  nakedness  the  Hypocrisy  which  gave  a  secret 
fatal  stab  to  the  Boer  Republic  and  then  publicly  came  forward 
as  the  disinterested  good  Samaritan ! 


Interview  with  President  Kruger  29 

"  The  third  stage  in  our  history  is  characterized  by  the  com- 
bination of  the  old  well-known  policy  of  fraud,  with  the  new 
forces  of  capitalism,  called  into  being  by  the  mineral  w^ealth  of 
the  South  African  Republic.  Our  existence  as  a  people  no  less 
than  as  a  state  is  at  present  threatened  by  this  unparalleled 
combination  of  powers  and  forces. 

"  But  we  shall  continue  the  struggle  against  the  overwhelm- 
ing British  odds  so  long  as  a  single  Boer  still  lives  to  wield  a 
gun." 

There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  President  Kruger  is  the 
proper  man  for  the  present  crisis.  The  week  before  I  met  him 
he  was  at  the  front  in  Natal  praising  the  burghers  for  the  great 
things  they  had  done  and  exhorting  them  to  still  greater  efforts 
in  the  future.  After  his  visit  to  the  burghers  of  the  Transvaal 
in  Natal  he  then  visited  the  Imrghers  of  the  Free  State  strong- 
holds, and  inspired  them  with  confidence  wherever  he  went. 
His  speeches  gave  the  keynote  to  the  presidential  mood  and 
presidential  mind  and  left  no  room  for  mistaking  the  set  pur- 
pose and  the  steadfast  spirit  that  possessed  the  head  of  the 
state.  On  the  13th  of  October,  1899,  the  president  put  his 
hand  to  the  plow  and  there  is  not  to  be  any  turning  back.  He 
started  out  to  defend  his  country's  independence.  The  vigor, 
determination  and  confidence  of  President  Kruger  was  very 
impressive.  Despite  his  seventy-six  years  of  age.  despite  all  the 
stress  of  stormy  seasons  of  the  past,  with  all  his  manifold  re- 
sponsibilities, he  appeared  at  that  time  buoyant  and  confident, 
and  his  strong  patriotism  and  courage  seemed  to  fire  the  im- 
agination even  of  his  enemies,  and  inspired  all  the  burghers  to 
their  best  efforts.  The  effect  of  his  visits  to  the  laagers  and  to 
the  Boers  fighting  in  the  trenches  was  that  there  was  renewed 
federal  activities,  reinvigorated  camps  and  a  movement  which 


30 


John  Bull's  Crime 


presaged  fresh  purposes.  At  Bloemfontein,  the  capital  of  the 
Orange  Free  State,  President  Kruger  received  a  magnificent 
ovation,  though  his  visit  occurred  but  a  short  time  after  the 
surrender  of  poor  Cronje  He  is  a  man  of  few  words,  but 
they  are  ever  weighty.  In  his  speech  at  Bloemfontein  on  this 
occasion  he  expressed  in  half  a  dozen  words  his  great  deter- 
mination when  he  said:   "  This  far  and  no  farther." 


1 


T^--> 


l-tRITISH  ARMORED  CAR. 


OOM  PAUL  KRUGKR,  PKFMWEXT  OF  THE  ^iOUTH  AFRICAN  REPUBLIC. 


MRS.  PRESIDE.\T  KRLT^ER. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Pretoria — Its  inhabitants,  architecture,  fortifications  and  defenses.  Plan 
to  surrender  city  and  retreat  to  mountain  fastnesses — thence  to  main- 
tain guerilla  warfare — contemplated  from  the  date  of  the  breaking  out 
of  hostilities.  Boers  slandered  and  their  institutions  misrepresented 
in  order  to  excite  sympathy  for  England's  unspeakable  and  inhuman 
assaults  on  the  republics.  Principal  newspapers  printed  in  English 
and  English  almost  universally  spoken  among  the  Boers.  British 
Uitlanders  alone  found  fault  with  Transvaal  government — American, 
French,  German  and  other  Uitlanders  being  well  satisfied  with  Boers' 
laws  and  their  administration  of  justice.  Their  kind  treatment  of 
British  soldiers — testimony  of  British  officers  and  others  as  to  this 
fact.  Falsity  of  the  charge  that  Boers  had  used  gold  to  purchase 
sympathy  of  other  countries,  and  that  President  Kruger  has  $15,000,000 
storea  away  in  Holland  banks.  Impossible  to  ship  gold  from  Transvaal 
without  British  knowledge. 

I  FOUND  Pretoria  one  of  the  most  attractive  and  interest- 
ing of  cities,  containing  a  population  of  about  fifteen 
thousand.  It  was  situated  on  the  northern  slope  of  the 
valley  formed  by  the  Aapies  River,  a  small  tributary  of  the 
Crocodile  River,  rising  near  the  town.  The  city  is  beautifully 
laid  out  in  parallelograms,  the  streets  being  of  equal  width 
throughout,  and  in  many  instances  lined  with  magnificent  wil- 
lows, which,  planted  originally  as  fencing  posts,  have  thriven 
amazingly  in  the  damp  soil.  Vegetation  of  all  kinds  was  lux- 
uriant. Upon  every  hand  could  be  seen  the  most  delicious 
fruits  and  flowers,  of  almost  every  variety,  filling  the  air  with 
their  sweet  perfume.     The  climate  is  especially  favorable  to 

31 


32  John  Bull's  Crime 

fruits  and  flowers.  The  heat  during  the  day  was  sometimes 
quite  intense,  but  the  nights  were  ahiiost  always  deHghtfuUy 
pleasant.  Surrounding  the  city  is  a  range  of  hills  aiYording 
almost  a  natural  fortification.  On  the  summit  of  these  hills  at 
the  four  corners  of  the  city  were  forts  containing  many  modern 
guns  and  milHons  of  rounds  of  ammunition.  It  would  seem 
that  these  forts  would  be  absolute  protection  to  the  city  against 
the  assaults  of  an  enemy  however  strong,  for  they  commanded 
a  view  of  the  country  for  many  miles  around,  the  country  being 
void  of  wood  or  shrubbery.  Later,  however,  the  Boers  did 
not  attempt  to  hold  the  city  when  the  British  army  approached 
it.  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  the  Boers  could  have  withstood 
a  long  siege,  l)ut  it  was  understood  long  before  the  British 
crossed  the  Modder  River  that  in  case  they  should  reach  Pre- 
toria the  Boers  would  not  attempt  to  hold  the  city,  thereby  giv- 
ing the  British  army  a  chance  to  hem  them  in  it  and  thus  cut  off 
their  escape  or  their  chance  of  retreating  to  the  mountains  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  Transvaal,  for  the  Boers  were  shrewd 
enough  to  know  th.at  the  British  outnumbered  them  ten  to  one, 
and  if  they  were  cut  off  fn^m  access  to  the  mountains  the  result 
might  be  disastrous.  They  relied  upon  their  ability  to  continue 
the  struggle  indefinitely  whenexer  it  became  necessary  for  them 
to  flee  to  the  mountains,  for  there  a  small  handful  of  Boers, 
accustomed  as  they  were  to  the  rough  countr}-.  would  be  more 
than  a  match  for  the  British  legions. 

The  public  buildings  of  the  capital  are  magnificent.  The 
state  house  is  an  imposing  structure,  while  the  new  court  build- 
ing just  nearing  completion  was  indeed  grand.  It  was  built 
of  native  white  granite  and  marble  and  cost  about  $2,000,000. 
It  appeared  very  much  like  the  new  Congressional  Library 
building  at  Washington,  D.  C.     The  churches  and  schools  were 


Uitlander  and  Boer  Policies  33 

first  class  in  every  particular.  The  schools  were  public  and 
private,  and  the  churches  were  of  all  denominations.  The  hos- 
pitals and  asylums  were  also  up-to-date.  In  fact  the  whole  ap- 
pearance of  the  city  was  ecjual  to  that  of  any  city  in  the  United 
States. 

The  private  residences  were  neat  and  comfortable,  containing 
all  the  modern  improvements.  These,  together  with  the  electric 
lights,  gas,  water  works,  street  cars,  workshops,  parks  and 
marketplaces,  and  the  general  appearance  of  the  people,  made 
one  feel  as  though  he  were  in  one  of  the  prosperous  cities  of 
America. 

I  found  the  Boers  possessing  the  very  characteristics  which 
we  most  admire  in  our  own  people,  namely,  the  good  nature, 
the  generous  spirit,  the  kindheartedness,  the  affection  for  their 
families  and  their  frank  and  manly  independence.  The  British 
press,  the  British  officials,  the  British  sympathizers  in  our  own 
country,  have  told  and  published  innumerable  lies  about  the 
Boers,  and  have  done  it  purposely  in  the  hope  of  creating  public 
sentiment  in  America  in  favor  of  the  course  pursued  by  the 
British  government  against  them.  The  intention  has  been  to 
manufacture  sympathy  for  the  British  cause  in  order  that  it 
may  be  known  throughout  the  world  that  the  people  of  the 
greatest  republic  in  existence  lend  their  moral  support  to  Great 
Britain  in  its  inhuman  war  against  the  Boers.  These  maligners 
and  traducers  have  endeavored  to  make  it  appear  that  the  laws 
in  the  two  South  African  republics  are  oppressive,  that  the 
Boers  have  abused  Englishmen  in  a  shameful  manner,  that  they 
have  tried  to  prohibit  the  English  language  from  being  spoken 
within  the  borders  of  the  two  republics,  that  the  Boers  had 
jambokked  many  English  residents  to  death  before  the  begin- 
ning of  the  war.  that  they  insulted  women  and  that  they  treated 


^4  John  Bull's  Crime 

their  prisoners  with  barbarity.     Those  and  many  other  atro- 
cious Hes  were  told  about  the  burghers.     From  personal  ex- 
perience and  observation  I  know  these  charges  to  be  absolutely 
untrue.    During  my  travels  throughout  the  two  republics,  meet- 
ing the  people  in  the  public  places,  in  their  offices,  in  the  hotels, 
in  their  homes,  in  villages  and  cities,  and  on  the  farms,  and 
mingling  with  the  soldiers  on  the  march,  in  the  camp  and  on  the 
battlefield,  I  met  but  few  persons  who  could  not  speak  the  Eng- 
lish language.     Almost  all  of  those  who  did  speak  it  spoke  it 
quite  as  well  as  the  citizens  of  our  own  country.     I  found  them 
clean  and  neat  in  their  appearance — their  homes  in  as  per- 
fect order,  as  clean  and  as  comfortable  and  as  convenient  as  the 
homes  of  Americans.     Sitting  at  their  tables,  attending  their 
little  dinners  in  our  honor,  even  private  dinners  as  well  as  public 
dinners  given  by  officials  of  the  government,  we  found  the  men 
and  women  in  evening  dress,  and  when  all  the  guests  besides 
myself  were  Boers,  yet  I  would  not  hear  a  single  word  but 
English  spoken  during  the  whole  evening.      I  found  many  of 
them  cultured  and  refined.     Some  of  them  were  authors,  some 
had  written  books,  some  had  written  poems,  some  had  produced 
excellent  paintings,  many  were  artists,  many  were  fine  musi- 
cians, and  it  was  indeed  a  very  common  thing  to  find  in  camp 
and  on  the  battlefield  many  a  stalwart  Boer  with  long  hair  and 
long  beard,  apparently  rough  and  uncouth,  who  surprised  me  by 
telling  me  that  he  was  a  graduate  from  one  of  the  great  English 
universities.     Noticing  their  beards  I  asked  them  why  so  many 
of  them  wore  whiskers,  and  one  of  them  answered :    "  We  do 
not  have  time  to  get  our  hair  cut  or  to  be  shaved,  for  we  are 
busy  all  the  time  fighting  for  our  lives  and  our  homes  against 
the  savage  native  or  the  still  more  savage  Britons,  fighting  to 
save  our  country  and  to  save  our  independence."     And  thus 


Uitlander  and  Boer  Policies  35 

frecinently  among;  these  brave  and  chivalrous  men  of  the  moun- 
tain and  veldt  would  I  be  surprised  so  agreeably. 

And  yet  these  are  the  kind  of  men  whom  the  British  press 
and  the  American  sympathizing  press  would  have  us  believe 
are  untutored  savages.  The  two  leading  newspapers  of  the 
Transvaal,  the  Volksstem,  at  Pretoria,  and  The  Standard  and 
Diggers'  News,  at  Johannesburg,  are  published  in  the  greater 
part  in  English,  and  they  are  briglit  and  newsy  papers,  and  to 
my  mind  much  better  papers  than  the  papers  of  England.  It 
appeared  to  me,  while  I  was  passing  through  London,  that  the 
English  dailies,  as  compared  -with  the  American  newspapers, 
were  very  inferior  publications.  One  had  to  wade  through  two 
or  three  pages  of  advertisements  on  the  outside  of  the  paper  in 
order  to  get  to  the  news,  wdiich  was  hidden  away  in  the  middle 
of  the  paper.  It  was  difficult  to  find  anything  of  interest 
You  could  scarcely  find  a  line  of  news  about  the  United  States. 
But  when  I  went  to  the  Transvaal  and  saw  these  two  papers  I 
have  just  mentioned.  I  fcmnd  the  arrangement  of  news  in  the 
papers  much  more  attractive  and  much  more  pleasing  than  in 
the  dailies  of  London,  and  the  fact  of  the  matter  is  that  I  could 
get.  even  during  those  times,  when  the  British  cables  were 
keeping  news  out  of  that  country  that  v;as  of  much  importance, 
more  news  in  those  papers  about  my  own  country  than  I  found 
in  the  English  dailies.  I  must  commend  the  Boer  papers  of  the 
Transvaal  for  their  energy  and  enterprise,  and  I  do  believe  that 
the  editorials  that  appeared  in  those  papers  will  rank  far  above 
those  of  the  London  dailies  and  will  compare  very  favorably  with 
the  editorials  in  the  columns  of  the  best  American  new^spapers. 

As  to  the  general  laws  of  the  two  republics,  I  can  say  they 
are  most  excellent  and  will  compare  favorably  with  the  laws 
of  our   countrv,     Thev  certainlv   guarantee  to   e\-erv  citizen 


36  John  Bull's  Crime 

freedom,  justice  and  equality  of  rights,  and  this  is  all  that  any 
man  or  woman  should  want  in  any  country.  The  truth  of  the 
matter  is  that  any  man  who  desired  to  obey  the  laws  of  those 
republics  could  get  along  quite  as  well  as  if  he  were  a  citizen 
of  our  own  republic.  The  laws  were  only  harsh  toward  those 
who  violated  them  and  did  not  want  to  treat  their  neighbors 
right,  who  did  not  want  to  live  in  a  peaceable  manner  or  who 
did  not  want  to  do  unto  others  as  they  would  be  done  by.  The 
laws  were  conceived  in  a  liberal  spirit,  the  mining  laws  espec- 
ially so.  The  only  complaint  to  be  heard  anywhere  on  the  part 
of  the  people  residing  in  the  two  republics  as  to  the  laws  of  those 
republics  came  from  the  British  Uitlanders.  They  were  the 
people  who  were  causing  all  the  trouble.  Their  mission  there 
seemed  to  be  to  find  fault  with  the  laws,  with  the  government, 
with  the  officials,  in  fact,  with  everything  and  everybody  who 
were  in  that  country  besides  themselves.  We  heard  no  com- 
plaint from  German  Uitlanders,  French  Uitlanders,  or  Ameri- 
can Uitlanders,  and  there  were  many  such  in  that  country. 
On  the  contrary,  we  found  the  German,  French  and  American 
Uitlanders,  and,  in  fact,  Uitlanders  from  every  country  except 
Great  Britain,  in  the  ranks  of  the  Boer  army,  fighting  for  the 
Boers,  believing  as  they  did  in  the  justness  and  right  of  the 
Boer  cause,  and  the  Boer  soldiers  themselves  were  no  better 
soldiers,  no  braver,  no  more  sincere  and  no  more  valiant  on 
the  battlefield  than  these  same  Uitlanders,  namely,  the 
German,  French  and  American  Uitlanders.  General  Joubert 
himself  said  to  me  at  Hoofdlaager,  near  Ladysmith,  that  among 
the  best  soldiers  in  his  army  were  the  Americans,  the  French, 
the  Germans  and  other  Uitlanders,  who  had  entered  his  army 
for  the  purpose  of  fighting  for  the  cause  of  the  Boers. 

I  also  saw  much  of  the  Boers'  treatment  of  British  prisoners. 


Uitlander  and  Boer  Policies  37 

It  was  indeed  a  sad  sight  to  witness  the  reception  accorded  to 
the  British  prisoners  as  they  arrived  train  load  after  train  load 
at  Pretoria  from  the  l)attlefields  on  the  Tugela  and  Modder 
rivers.  Whenever  a  train  load  of  prisoners  w^as  expected  to 
arrive  at  Pretoria,  men,  women  and  children  who  still  remained 
in  that  city  congregated  at  the  railway  station;  and  after  the 
train  arrived  the  doors  of  the  cars  were  opened  and  the  prison- 
ers emerged  from  them,  the  burghers  removing  their  hats 
as  the  prisoners  stepped  upon  the  platform,  and  not  a  jeer,  not 
a  word  of  derision,  was  heard  from  one  of  them, — but  perfect 
silence  reigned,  and  many  a  tear  rolled  down  the  cheeks  of  men 
and  women  who  stood  upon  the  platform  and  saw  the  sons  of 
British  fathers  and  mothers  marched  up  the  street  four  abreast 
to  be  placed  where  they  were  to  remain  so  long  as  they  were 
prisoners  of  war.  The  conduct  of  the  Boers  was  most  humane, 
most  unusual.  At  the  place  where  the  prisoners  were  confined 
they  were  given  the  kindest  treatment.  Those  who  were  ill  or 
wounded  were  given  the  best  medical  attention ;  surgeons  and 
nurses  were  ever  ready  to  care  for  them.  All  the  prisoners  were 
given  nice  clean  beds  and  fresh  pure  water.  The  food  was 
nicely  prepared,  abundant  and  wholesome,  and  the  quarters  in 
which  they  were  lodged  were  clean  and  healthful,  affording 
them  plenty  of  light,  plenty  of  fresh  air,  all  of  which  are  verv 
essential  in  a  South  African  climate.  Books  were  furnished 
them  in  large  numbers  from  the  Boer  librarv,  and,  stranee  t(^ 
say,  these  books  which  were  furnished  by  the  Boers  to  the 
British  prisoners  were  all  English  books,  not  Dutch  books,  and 
yet  they  came  from  the  Boer  library,  where  it  would  be  sup- 
posed that  all  the  books  were  printed  in  tlie  Dutch  language, 
since  so  many  liars  had  said  that  the  English  language  was  not 
permitted  to  be  spoken  in  the  two  South  African  republics.    In 


38  John  Bull's  Crime 

these  prison  quarters  were  grassy  lawns  and  shade  trees  and 
Ijeautiful  grounds  whereon  the  British  soldiers  were  permitted 
to  play  the  games  they  had  been  accustomed  to  in  England. 
And  the  British  officers  who  w^re  prisoners  were  made  com- 
fortable in  the  largest  public  school  building  in  Pretoria,  which 
had  been  set  apart  for  their  comfort.  They  seemed,  indeed, 
more  like  first-class  boarders  than  like  prisoners  of  war.  One 
of  these  officers  said  to  me  himself,  while  inter\'iewing  him, 
that  he  was  perfectly  satisfied  to  remain  there  until  the  end  of 
the  war.  "  For,"  said  he.  "  this  is  good  enough  for  me,  much 
better  than  being  hard  at  work  in  camp  or  on  the  battlefield, 
and  to  tell  the  truth,  I  am  tired  of  this  whole  business.  I  do 
not  like  to  be  compelled  to  fight  these  kind-hearted,  God-fearing 
people." 

]\Iajor  Nugent,  who  was  one  of  the  wounded  English  officers 
captured  by  the  Boers  at  Dundee,  wrote  a  letter  to  his  wife  from 
Pretoria,  where  he  was  in  a  hospital,  among  other  things  say- 
ing, "  I  must  say.  and  I  don't  say  it  because  the  Boers  may  read 
it,  that  nothing  in  the  world  can  exceed  the  kindness  they  have 
shown  toward  us.  They  have  done  everything  they  can  do 
for  us.  We  have  been  moved  out  of  camp  into  the  town  of 
Dundee,  into  the  houses.  I  have  a  little  room  to  myself  and  a 
comfortable  bed,  sheets,  etc.  The  Boer  magistrate  in  charge 
of  the  town  since  they  captured  it  has  told  the  senior  medical 
officer  that  anything  they  have  will  be  provided  for  us  as  far  as 
possible.      We  are  all  right." 

Again,  Mr.  Bennett  Burleigh,  an  Englishman,  writing  to  the 
London  Daily  Telegraph,  November  29th,  1899,  ^^ore  testi- 
mony to  the  sympathy  and  charity  of  the  Boers  in  the  following 
language : 

"  More  than  once  Boer  leaders  and  simple  burghers  have  re- 


Uitlander  and  Boer  Policies  39 

spected  not  only  the  property  of  prisoners,  but  the  adverse  opin- 
ions of  those  opposed  to  them.  With  real  deHcacy  they  Iiave 
striven  to  lessen  the  hardships  incidental  to  military  occupation 
and  the  stern  demands  of  war.  Homesteads  have  frequently 
been  held  secure.  Even  the  liberty  of  private  persons,  non- 
combatants,  has  at  times  been  left  considerably  intact.  Again 
and  again  they  have  treated  our  wounded  in  the  most  generous 
manner,  treating  wounds  on  the  principle  of  first  come  first 
treated,  and  furnishing  those  who  fell  into  their  hands  with  not 
only  necessaries,  but  little  luxuries,  such  as  tobacco,  etc.  It  is 
gratifying  that  e\-en  what  has  almost  degenerated  into  a  racial 
war  has  not  quite  dammed  the  flood  gates  of  human  sympathy 
and  charity  for  others.  General  Joubert  has  done  many  kindly 
acts,  and  whenever  he  or  his  doctors  have  been  unable  to  treat 
our  wounded  they  have  sent  them  in  to  us,  as  they  did  after  the 
action  fought  the  other  day  near  Beacon  Hill." 

These  testimonials  fn)m  British  subjects  ought  to  bring  the 
blush  of  shame  to  the  cheeks  of  those  who  wilfully  and  mali- 
ciously make  false  charges  and  accusations  against  the  kind- 
hearted  and  Christianlike  Boers. 

Another  charge  made  against  the  Boers  is  that  they  have 
used  vast  amounts  of  gold  for  the  purpose  of  buying  the  sym- 
pathy of  people  of  other  countries,  and  that  President  Kruger 
has  fifteen  million  dollars  in  gold  stored  away  in  the  banks  of 
Holland  to  his  credit.  Every  one  knows,  who  was  in  position 
to  learn  anything  about  the  true  condition  of  things  in  that 
country,  that  only  a  few  years  ago  there  was  but  $3.75  in  the 
treasury  of  the  South  African  Republic.  Every  dollar  that 
could  be  saved  over  and  above  the  actual  expenses  of  operating 
the  government  (and  the  officials,  by  the  way,  since  the  com- 
mencement of  the  war,  have  been  w^orking  on  half  pay,  that  is, 


40  John  Bull's  Crime 

they  declined  to  take  from  the  government  but  half  the  salaries 
they  are  entitled  to  under  the  law)  was  invested  in  guns  and 
ammunition.  Large  amounts  of  provisions  and  supplies  were 
also  purchased  and  stored  in  places  of  safety  in  the  mountains, 
preparatory  to  the  war  which  they  momentarily  expected  since 
the  Jameson  raid,  and  which  they  knew  was  to  come  sooner  or 
later.  Prior  to  the  discovery  of  gold  the  revenues  of  the  re- 
public were  very  small.  And  since  gold  was  discoverecj  in 
1886,  all  the  mines  were  in  the  control  of  British  capitalists 
and  exclusively  operated  by  them,  as  the  Boers  did  not  have  the 
capital  necessary  to  develop  them;  and  since  the  beginning  of 
the  present  war  eight  or  ten  great  British  warships  have  care- 
fully guarded  Delagoa  Bay,  the  only  inlet  and  outlet  to  the  two 
Boer  republics.  And  the  British  officials  have  carefully  ex- 
amined the  baggage  of  every  man  who  went  into  or  came  out  of 
those  republics.  Of  course,  on  the  surface  of  things,  it  is  made 
to  appear  that  the  Portuguese  officials  are  in  charge  of  the  cus- 
tom house  at  Lorenzo  Marquez,  but  every  one  knows  that  Eng- 
land has  a  mortgage  on  Portugal  for  more  than  it  is  worth, 
and  British  officials  do  just  as  they  please  at  Delagoa  Bay,  and 
they  know  who  and  what  goes  into  or  comes  out  of  the  Orange 
Free  State  or  the  Transvaal.  It  would  he  an  impossibility  for 
any  one  to  smuggle  even  an  ounce  of  gold  out  of  these  republics. 
Who  ever  heard  of  any  gold  passing  by  an  Englishman  without 
its  being  discovered?  Even  President  Kruger's  baggage  to  the 
minutest  detail  w^as  carefully  inspected  when  he  passed  through 
Delagoa  Bay  on  his  way  to  Europe.  President  Kruger  sat  in 
his  office  in  Pretoria  day  after  day  and  gave  money  out  of  his 
own  pocket  to  the  widows  and  orphans  of  the  burghers  killed  at 
the  front,  with  which  to  purchase  the  necessaries  of  life;  and 
he  told  me  himself  that  at  the  rate  the  demands  for  help  were 


Uitlander  and  Boer  Policies  41 

being  made  upon  him  then  it  wouhl  be  l)ut  a  few  months  until 
all  his  private  means  would  be  gone. 

These  charges  are  cruel  in  the  extreme.  It  would  seem 
that  the  untold  misery  and  suffering  caused  in  countless  homes 
— the  tears  shed  by  wives  and  muthers  as  they  wept  over  loved 
ones  slain  in  battle,  the  heartaches  of  multiplied  thousands  of 
men  and  women  who  followed  the  beloved  Boer  General  Koch, 
who  had  been  killed  in  battle.  Uj  his  last  resting  place  in  Pre- 
toria, and  the  anguish  of  the  bra\-e  men  who.  though  seriously 
wounded,  lay  in  the  hospitals  prating  for  their  speedy  recovery 
in  order  that  they  might  return  to  join  their  comrades  ere  the 
next  battle — ought  to  be  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  venomous  horde 
of  repul)lic  haters  withoui:  resort'ng  to  the  most  shameful  lying. 

That  the  war  waged  against  the  Boers  is  an  unjust  war  will 
be  conceded  by  any  fair  minded  person  who  will  read  carefully 
and  impartially  the  statement  of  the  causes  that  gave  rise  to  it 
in  the  next  few  chapters. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Boer  case  as  set  forth  by  Mr.  F.  W.  Reitz.  Secretary  of  State  of  ihe  South 
African  Republic.  Struggle  of  a  century  against  British  territorial 
encroachments  and  violations  of  conventions.  Britishers' boast  of  civili- 
zation in  South  Africa  a  mere  cloak  to  hide  their  spirit  of  annexation 
and  piracy.  To  wait  until  the  Dutch  have  penetrated  the  wildernesses, 
conquered  the  wild  beasts  and  savages  and  established  civilized  gov- 
ernment for  themselves,  and  then  to  take  advantage  of  their  numerical 
weakness  and  rob  them  of  the  results  of  their  toils  and  hardships  and 
force  them  again  and  again  into  unexplored  wilds  to  begin  anew  the 
work  of  republic  building — this  has  been  the  brutal,  thievish,  cowardly 
policy  of  England.  Incited  savages  to  seditious  movements  repeatedly, 
encouraging  them  to  murder  Boers  and  ravish  their  women.  Forced 
Boers  to  accept  £90,000  in  compensation  for  the  seizure  of  diamond 
fields  with  a  daily  output  greater  in  value  than  that  sum.  Treaties, 
annexations  and  suzerainty. 

OF  all  the  statesmen  of   the  two  Boer   republics  none  is 
so  well  qualified  to  state  the   Boer  side  of  the  case  in 
the  South    African  controversy  as  Mr.  F.  W.  Reitz, 
Secretary  of  State  of  the  South  African  Reptiblic.  and  a  former 
president  of  the  Orange  Free  State.     In  an  interview  with  him, 
he  said  to  me : 

"  The  struggle  which  has  now  lasted  almost  a  century,  which 
began  with  the  forcing  of  a  foreign  ruler  upon  the  Dutch  popu- 
lation of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  is  rapidly  nearing  its  end;  we 
have  reached  the  last  act  in  the  great  drama  fraught  with  such 
tremendous  issues  for  the  whole  of  South  Africa;  we  have 
arrived  at  that  point  at  which  it  must  be  decided  whether  all 
the  sacrifices  which  our  fathers  and  ourselves  have  laid  upon 

42 


What  Secretary  Reitz  Says  43 

the  altar  of  liberty  have  been  in  vain,  whether  all  the  blood  of 
our  peoi)le  l)y  which,  as  it  were.  e\ery  part  of  South  Africa  is 
consecrated  has  been  shed  in  vain ;  or  whether,  by  God's  grace, 
the  copestone  shall  now  be  placed  upon  the  building  that  our 
forefathers  began  with  so  much  suffering  and  sorrow.  The 
hour  has  come  when  it  shall  be  decided  whether,  by  vindicating 
her  liberty.  South  Africa  shall  enter  upon  a  new  and  grander 
period  of  her  history,  or  v.-hether  our  people  shall  cease  to  exist, 
shall  be  extirpated  in  the  struggle  for  that  liberty  which  it  has 
always  valued  above  all  earthly  treasures,  and  South  Africa 
shall  in  future  be  governed  by  soulless  gold  kings  acting  in  the 
name  and  under  the  protection  of  an  unjust  and  hated  govern- 
ment 7,000  miles  away.  The  allegations  of  humanity,  civiliza- 
tion and  equal  rights,  upon  which  the  British  government  bases 
its  actions,  is  nothing  but  a  cloak  for  that  hypocritical  spirit  of 
annexation  and  piracy  which  has  always  characterized  her  ac- 
tions in  all  her  relations  with  our  people. 

"  After  thirty  years  of  English  government  it  was  conclu- 
sively proved  that  it  brought  no  salvation,  but  rather  oppression, 
for  the  Boer.  His  elementary  rights  were  violated  and  without 
the  least  security;  his  situation  was  intolerable  in  the  British 
colony,  which  had  then  as  its  northern  boundary  the  Groot 
River.  It  was  therefore  decided  to  sacrifice  home,  property 
and  the  possessions  that  yet  remained  after  the  Kafifir  devasta- 
tions and  to  quit  the  British  jurisdiction.  Lieut.  Governor 
Stockenstrom  was  first  consulted,  but  he  said  that  there  was 
no  law  to  forbid  his  leaving  the  Colony  and  settling  elsewhere, 
and  if  such  a  law  existed  it  would  be  a  tyrannical  law  which 
could  not  be  put  into  force. 

"  The  Cape  Attorney-General  Oliphant.  consulted  by  Lord 
Charles  Somerset,  gave  the  same  advice,  saying  that  the  emi- 


44  John  Bull's  Crime 

grants  were  apparently  resolved  to  go  to  another  land  and  not 
to  consider  themselves  any  longer  as  British  subjects  (as  was 
taking  place  daily  in  the  emigration  from  England  to  North 
America),  that  the  government  was  powerless  and  could  do 
nothing  to  stop  the  evil. 

"  Now,  outside  the  British  jurisdiction  lay  the  countries  north 
of  the  Orange  River  and  east  of  the  Drakensbergen,  and  as  far 
as  was  known  at  that  time  these  countries  were  inhabited  by 
barbarians.  But  rather  than  remain  any  longer  under  British 
rule  our  fathers  resolved  to  risk  the  dangers  of  the  wilderness 
and  there  purchase  from  the  Kaffirs  a  stretch  of  land  and  estab- 
lish an  independent  society. 

''  After  untold  hardships  and  much  suffering  at  the  hands 
of  the  Zulus,  the  Republic  of  Natal  was  founded  by  our  fathers. 

"  But  the  history  of  this  republic  was  destined  to  be  a  short 
one.  The  British  Colonial  office  was  on  the  trail  of  our  peo- 
ple. At  first  the  British  government  resolved  to  effect  a  mili- 
tary occupation  of  Natal,  because,  as  Governor  Napier  wrote 
to  Lord  Russell,  the  Secretary  of  State,  on  June  22d.  1840, 
'  it  was  evidently  the  fixed  determination  of  Her  Majesty's 
government  not  to  extend  her  possessions  in  Africa.'  The  mili- 
tary occupation  was  simply  intended  to  oppress  and  harass  the 
Boers,  as  Governor  Napier  declares  with  brutal  frankness  in 
his  despatch  to  Lord  Glenelg  of  January  i6th,  1838.  In  other 
words,  the  intention  was  to  prevent  the  Boers  from  obtaining 
ammunition  and  from  establishing  an  independent  republic.  By 
this  means  he  considered  that  the  emigration  would  cease. 

"  Again,  on  April  loth,  1842.  Lord  Stanley  instructs  Gov- 
ernor Napier  to  cut  off  the  Boers  from  all  communication  and 
to  inform  them  that  the  British  government  would  assist  the 
barbarians  against  them  and  treat  them  as  rebels. 


TJfx 


H<-Ji- 


What  Secretary  Reitz  Says  45 

"  The  military  occupation  was  resisted  by  us  and  the  Eng- 
lish troops  were  on  two  occasions  beaten  off.  More  of  them, 
however,  were  drowned  m  their  flight  than  perished  from  our 
bullets. 

"  Later  on  Commissioner  Cloete  was  despatched  to  annex 
the  young  republic,  as  a  reward  to  the  Boers  for  their  services 
in  reclaiming  it  for  civilization.  Not  without  powerful  protest 
from  our  side  did  this  annexation  take  place.  On  February 
1st,  1842.  the  Volksraad  of  Maritzburg  under  the  chairman- 
ship of  Joachim  Prinsloo,  wrote  to  Governor  Napier  as. 
follows : 

We  know  that  there  is  a  God  who  is  ruler  of  heaven  and 
earth  and  who  has  the  power  and  the  will  to  protect  the  weak 
against  their  oppressors.  To  Him  we  entrust  the  righteous- 
ness of  our  cause.  If  it  is  His  will  that  we.  our  wives  and  chil- 
dren shall  be  totally  extirpated,  we  shall  humbly  submit  to  such 
a  fate.  We  will  not  challenge  the  might  of  England,  yet  we 
cannot  allow  that  might  shall  triumph  over  right,  without  hav- 
ing made  every  effort  in  our  power  to  resist  such  might.' 

"  \\'hen  our  noble  leader  Andries  Pretorius,  who  had  ridden 
on  horseback  to  Grahamstown,  hundreds  of  miles  distant,  in 
order  to  acquaint  Governor  Pottinger  with  the  true  state  of 
affairs,  and  was  sent  back  unheard,  reached  the  Drakensberg-en, 
he  found  almost  the  entire  population  trekking  away  over  the 
Drakensbergen — away  from  British  authority.  His  own  wife 
lay  dying  in  her  wagon ;  his  daughter  was  leading  the  oxen 
and  had  been  painfully  gored  by  them.  And  this  was  but  one 
instance  out  of  innumerable  others. 

"  Sir  Henry  Smith,  who  had  succeeded  Pottinger  as  Gov- 
ernor, described  the  condition  of  these  trekking  Boers  as  *  a 
state  of  misery  which  he  had  not  seen  equalled  except  in  Mas- 


46  John  Bull's  Crime 

Sena's  invasion  of  Portugal.  The  scene  was  truly  heartrend- 
ing.' 

"  Thus  had  we  fared  at  the  hands  of  the  British  government 
in  connection  with  the  founding  of  Natal. 

"  We  trekked  away  over  the  Drakensbergen  to  the  Orange 
Free  State,  where  some  of  us  remained,  while  the  others  trekked 
northwards  across  the  Vaal  River." 

"  After  this  compulsory  emigration  from  Cape  Colony,  how 
long  were  the  Boers  permitted  by  the  British  government  to 
rest  in  peace,  without  bemg  further  molested?  "  I  asked  of  Sec- 
retary Reitz. 

"  Only  a  short  time,"  he  answered,  "  for  the  British  govern- 
ment soon  appointed  an  official  to  preside  over  the  Orange  Free 
State  known  as  a  British  Resident. 

''  Pretorius,  however,  gave  him  forty-eight  hours  to  quit  the 
republic.  Thereupon  Sir  Harry  Smith  collected  an  army,  con- 
sisting chiefly  of  colored  troops,  against  us  and  fought  a  battle 
with  us  at  Boomplaats  on  August  29th,  1848.  After  the 
battle,  which  was  a  very  tough  one,  a  Boer,  called  Thomas 
Dreijer,  was  caught  by  Smith's  colored  troops,  and  to  the 
shame  of  the  English  name  was  butchered  by  the  English 
Governor  for  no  other  crime  than  that,  having  been  a  British 
subject  many  years  before,  he  now  dared  to  fight  against  the 
Queen's  flag. 

"  Another  murder  and  atrocity  put  to  the  account  of  Eng- 
land. 

"  In  the  meantime  Sir  Harry  Smith  had  also  annexed  the 
country  under  the  name  of  the  Orange  River  Sovereignty,  on 
the  ])retext  that  four-fifths  of  the  inhabitants  favored  British 
rule  and  were  only  intimidated  by  the  threats  of  Pretorius. 

'*  Xot  long  after  this,  however,  the  British  Resident  involved 


What  Secretary  Reitz  Says  47 

himself  in  difficulties  with  Moshesh,  the  great  and  astute  para- 
mount chief  of  the  Basutos.  The  Resident  invoked  the  assist- 
ance of  the  Boers,  but,  of  the  thousand  called  out  only  seventy- 
five  responded.  The  English  troops  got  the  worst  of  it.  As 
the  Resident  wrote  to  his  government,  the  existence  of  the 
Orange  River  Sovereignty  now  depended  on  Andries  Pretorius, 
the  man  on  whose  head  Sir  Harry  Smith  had  put  a  price  of  two 
thousand  pounds.  Earl  Grey  censured  Sir  Harry  Smith  and 
the  Resident  Warden,  and  recalled  the  latter,  saying  in  his  de- 
spatch of  December  15th,  1851,  to  the  Governor,  that  the 
British  government  had  annexed  the  land  under  the  representa- 
tion that  the  general  body  of  inhabitants  were  in  favor  of  such  a 
measure,  that,  if  the  inhabitants  were  unwilling  to  support  the 
authority  of  the  British  government,  which  was  established 
solely  for  their  benefit,  then  there  was  no  reason  for  the  main- 
tenance of  such  authority.  When  the  British  government  re- 
tired from  the  sovereignty  it  was,  howex-er,  to  be  clearly  under- 
stood that  no  wars,  however  bloody,  which  might  arise  between 
the  various  native  tribes  and  the  white  communities  in  a  state 
of  independence  beyond  the  colonial  boundaries  would  be  con- 
sidered as  constituting  a  ground  for  interference. 

"  In  other  words,  as  Froude  puts  it,  '  In  1852  we  discovered 
that  wars  with  nati\es  and  Dutch  were  expensive  and  useless, 
that  sending  troops  out  and  killing  thousands  of  natives  was 
an  odd  w^ay  of  protecting  them.  We  resolved  to  keep  within 
our  territories,  not  meddle  beyond  the  Orange  River,  and  leave 
natives  and  Dutch  to  settle  their  differences.'  And  again, 
'  Grown  sick  of  enterprises  which  led  neither  to  honor  nor 
peace,  we  resolved  to  make  the  Orange  River,  in  1852,  the 
boundary  of  British  responsibilities.  We  made  formal  treaties 
with  the  two  Dutch  States,  binding  ourselves  not  to  interfere 


48  ]ohn  Bull's  Crime 

between  them  and  the  natives  and  leaving  them  either  to  become 
a  barrier,  or,  as  we  considered  most  Hkely,  to  sink  in  an  mi- 
eqiial  struggle  with  warlike  tribes  by  whom  they  were  infinitely 
outnumbered.' 

"  The  administration  of  the  Free  State  cost  the  British  tax- 
payer too  much.  Besides,  there  was  an  idea  that  if  the  Boer 
were  given  rope  enough  he  would  hang  himself. 

"  A  new  Governor,  Sir  George  Cathcart,  was  sent  out  with 
two  special  commissioners  to  carry  out  the  new  policy,  and  a 
treaty  was  entered  into  between  England  and  the  Free  State 
by  which  complete  independence  was  guaranteed  to  the  Free 
State,  and  the  British  undertook  not  to  interfere  with  native 
races  north  of  the  Great  Orange  River. 

"  As  Cathcart  says  in  his  letters,  '  The  sovereignty  bubble  is 
at  an  end,'  and  '  The  foolish  sovereignty  farce  is  over.* 

"  It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  as  long  as  the  Free  State  was 
English  territory  it  included  the  tract  of  country  now  known 
as  Kimberley  and  the  diamond  fields,  that  English  mortgages 
tmder  the  Orange  Free  State  Sovereignty  had  been  issued  for 
the  ground  in  questi(Mi  as  belonging  to  the  Sovereignty,  and 
that  the  tract  of  country  formed  part  of  the  jurisdiction  of  a 
Sovereignty  magistrate,  and  that  therefore  this,  at  the  retro- 
cession of  the  Free  State,  formed  part  of  that  territory. 

"  The  convention  between  England  and  the  Free  State  was 
not  fifteen  years  old  before  it  was  broken  by  the  English. 
Though  they  had  solemnly  undertaken  not  to  interfere  in  native 
affairs  north  of  the  Groot  River,  yet,  when  the  Basutos  had 
murdered  and  robbed  the  Free  Staters,  ravished  their  women 
and  committed  innumerable  acts  of  violence,  and  the  Free 
Staters  had  succeeded,  after  three  years  of  warfare,  in  severely 
chastising  them,  the  English  interfered  in  favor  of  the  Basutos 


What  Secretary  Reitz  Says  49 

in  1869.  In  the  Aliwal  convention,  however,  they  again  prom- 
ised not  to  interfere. 

"  The  ink  of  this  treaty  was  scarcely  dry  before  diamonds 
were  discovered  in  that  part  of  the  Free  State  between  the 
Groot  and  Vaal  Rivers,  to  which  reference  has  ah-eady  been 
made.  Instead  of  frankly  confessing  that  it  (the  British  gov- 
ernment) was  the  strongest,  and  therefore  demanded  the 
ground  in  which  the  richest  diamond  mine  in  the  world  was 
sittiated,  the  hypocritical  allegation  was  resorted  to,  that  the 
true  cause  for  the  seizure  of  this  ground  from  the  Free  State 
was  that  it  belonged  to  a  native,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
this  assertion  was  proved  and  adjudged  to  be  false,  even  in  the 
English  law  courts. 

"  There  was  an  idea,  says  Fronde,  that  the  richest  diamond 
mine  in  the  world  should  not  be  lost  to  the  British  Empire. 
The  ground  was  taken  from  the  Boer,  '  and  since  then  the  Boer 
in  South  Africa  can  rely  on  English  promises  less  than  ever 
before.'  This  business.  Fronde,  who  died  before  the  Jameson 
invasion,  calls  '  perhaps  the  most  discreditable  page  in  British 
colonial  history.' 

"  Afterward,  when  Brand  went  to  England,  the  government 
pleaded  guilty  and  paid  a  paltry  ninety  thousand  pounds  as 
compensation  for  seizing  the  richest  diamond  fields  in  the 
world,  where  almost  daily  diamonds  in  greater  value  than  this 
sum  are  dug  up.  But  in  spite  of  the  Free  State  convention,  in 
spite  of  tlie  repeated  promises  in  the  Aliwal  convention,  the 
Free  State  had  yet  to  suffer  a  third  scandalous  breach  of  the 
convention  from  England.  Tens  of  thousands  of  guns  were 
imported  through  the  colony  to  Kimberley.  and  there  sold  to 
the  Kaffirs,  who  surrounded  and  threatened  the  two  Dutch  re- 
publics.    General  Sir  Arthur  Conynghame,  the  English  com- 


50  John  Bull's  Crime 

mancler  in  South  Africa,  says  that  under  his  rule  four  hundred 
thousand  guns  were  in  this  way  sold  to  the  Kaffirs.  Protests 
from  the  Transvaal  and  Free  State  w^ere  of  no  avail,  and  when 
the  Free  State  made  use  of  its  rights  and  stopped  wagons 
loaded  with  guns  on  the  way  to  the  Free  State,  it  was  moreover 
forced  to  give  compensation  to  the  British  government. 

"  '  The  Free  State,'  says  the  English  historian  Froude,  '  paid 
the  compensation  under  protest  with  an  old  fashioned  appeal 
to  the  God  of  righteousness,  whom,  strange  to  say,  they  con- 
sidered a  reality.' 

'*  The  history  of  the  following  decades  was  to  give  even 
greater  point  to  this  sarcasm." 

At  this  point  the  Secretary  controlled  his  emotions  with 
great  difficulty,  for  he  had  once  been  honored  with  the  highest 
office  in  the  gift  of  the  Boers  of  the  Orange  Free  State, 
and  his  love  for  them  and  their  republic  was  exceedingly 
strong. 

Three  of  his  stalwart  sons,  one  but  sixteen  years  of  age,  Avere 
then  fighting  on  the  Modder  River  as  members  of  a  Free  State 
commando.  In  response  to  my  request  to  give  me  some  facts 
as  to  the  early  settlement  of  the  Transvaal  or  South  African 
Republic,  he  said : 

"  The  Boers  first  found  the  Transvaal  overrun  with  the  war- 
riors of  Moselikatze  (the  Matabele  king,  father  of  Lobengula). 

"  When  he  heard  of  the  approaching  emigrant  Boers  he  sent 
an  impi  to  extirpate  them.  They  murdered  a  few  whites  who 
had  wandered  away  from  the  rest,  but  were  defeated  at  Vecht- 
kop  by  a  small  laager  under  Sarel  Celliers,  where  the  Boer 
women  also  distinguished  themselves  by  deeds  of  heroism. 

"  Shortly  afterwards  the  emigrant  Boers  crossed  the  Vaal 
river  and.  after  two  battles,  succeeded  in  driving  Moselikatze 


What  Secretary  Reitz  Says  51 

and  his  barbarians  across  the  Limpopo  River  into  Matabeleland. 
After  the  annexation  of  Natal  Andries  Pretorius  had  also  come 
to  the  Transvaal  and  lived  there  peacefully  as  Commandant- 
General,  notwithstanding-  the  price  placed  on  his  head  by  Sir 
Harry  Smith.  The  British  Resident  in  the  Free  State,  which 
then  still  belonged  to  England,  had  however  to  confess  to  the 
English  Governor  that  the  fate  of  the  Free  State  was  in  the 
hands  of  this  same  Pretorius,  to  whose  influence  it  was  due 
that  Aloshesh  had  not  extirpated  the  British  soldiers.  It  had 
been  determined  in  England,  as  Froude  says,  to  leave  the  Afri- 
kanders and  Kaffirs  in  peace  beyond  the  borders  in  the  hope 
that  the  Kaffirs  would  exterminate  the  Afrikanders. 

"  The  colonial  office  was  therefore  glad,  says  the  English 
IMember  of  Parliament,  INIolesworth,  when  the  Governor,  in 
1 85 1,  received  a  letter  from  Andries  Pretorius,  Commandant- 
General  of  the  Transvaal  Boers,  in  which  he  offered  in  the  name 
of  his  people  to  enter  into  negotiations  with  the  British  gov- 
ernment with  the  object  of  forming  a  treaty  of  peace  and 
friendship.  The  price  on  his  head  was  at  once  cancelled,  and 
when  Harry  Smith  had  been  recalled  in  dishonor,  Governor 
Cathcart  was  sent  out  by  Earl  Grey  to  recognize  the  independ- 
ence of  the  Boers.  The  Aberdeen  ministry,  which  immediately 
followed,  declared  through  its  spokesman  in  the  English  House 
of  Commons :  *  They  regretted  that  they  had  ever  crossed  the 
Great  Orange  River.  Lord  Grey  had  done  this  for  the  sake  of 
Sir  Harry  Smith,  though  the  latter  knew  better  and  had  also  a 
different  opinion,  as  the  Boers  were  opposed  to  British  rule.' 
This  policy  was  confirmed  by  the  almost  unanimous  voice  of  the 
British  House  of  Commons. 

"  Thereupon  the  proposal  of  Pretorius  was  accepted  and  the 
two  assistant  high  commissioners,  Hogge  and  Owen,  sent  out 


^2  John  Bull's  Crime 

with  Governor  Cathcart,  held  a  conference  with  the  delegates 
of  the  Boers  at  Sand  River  in  the  Free  State,  which  resn.ted  in 
the  signing  of  the  Sand  River  convention  hy  both  parties.  In 
this  convention,  as  later  in  the  Free  State  convention,  the 
Transvaal  Boers  were  secnred  in  fnllest  measure  against  inter- 
ference or  intervention  on  the  part  of  England,  either  with 
them  or  w-'th  the  natives  north  of  the  Great  Ri\-er,  while  both 
sides  bound  themselves  not  to  provide  these  natives  with 
arms  or  ammunition.  The  British  commissioners  reported 
that  the  acknowledgment  of  the  independence  of  the  Trans- 
vaal Boers  had  several  advantages,  as  it  would  secure  their 
friendship,  prevent  their  alliance  with  Aloshesh,  and  guar- 
antee that  no  slavery  should  exist  and  that  criminals  should  be 
extradited. 

"On  May  13th,  1852.  Sir  George  Cathcart.  the  Governor, 
in  a  proclamation  expressed  his  satisfaction  that  one  of  the 
first  acts  of  his  administration  was  the  approval  of  this  Sand 
River  convention.  In  June.  1852.  the  British  colonial  secre- 
tary also  approved  of  the  convention. 

"  But  England's  word  could  not  be  relied  on  even  in  a  con- 
vention solemnly  approved  and  signed  by  her.  When  the 
diamonds  were  discovered  in  the  Free  State,  scarcely  seventeen 
years  after  the  signing  of  this  convention,  England  claimed 
part  of  the  Transvaal  territory  adjacent  to  that  taken  from  the 
Free  State.  It  was  decided  to  have  recourse  to  arbitration. 
The  arbitrators  differed  and  the  umpire.  Governor  Keate  of 
Natal,  gave  his  award  against  the  Transvaal.  It  then  appeared 
that  the  British  arbitrator  had  purchased  12,000  morgen  from 
the  Kaffir  chief  Waterboer  for  a  mere  song  and  that  Governor 
Keate  had  already  recei\'ed  \\'atcrboer  as  a  British  subject,  in 
direct  opposition  to  the  convention.     Even  Dr.   MofTat,  who 


What  Secretary  Reitz  Says  53 

was  no  friend  of  the  Boers,  protested  against  this  in  a  letter  to 
the  London  Times,  because  the  territory  in  question  had  always 
belonged  to  the  Transvaal. 

"  But  this  was  only  one  of  the  breaches  of  the  convention. 
When  the  four  hundred  thousand  guns  were  sold  to  Kaffirs  at 
Kimberley,  according  to  the  account  of  Conynghame  and 
Moodie.  the  Transvaal  government  protested  strongly  in  1872 
to  the  Cape  High  Commissioner,  but  they  had  to  content  them- 
selves with  an  impudent  answer  from  Sir  Henry  Barkly. 

"  And  to  crown  all  the  deeds  of  infamy  committed  by  Eng- 
land, Shepstone,  on  April  12,  1877,  annexed  the  Transvaal. 
Lord  Carnarvon,  to  complete  his  South  African  confederation 
policy,  sent  Sir  Bartle  Frere  as  Governor  to  Cape  Town.  He 
also  sent  Shepstone  to  the  Transvaal  to  annex  the  country, 
provided  the  consent  of  the  Volksraad  or  of  the  majority  of  the 
inhabitants  was  obtained.  The  Volksraad  protested  against 
the  annexation.  The  President  protested.  Out  of  a  possible 
population  of  eight  thousand  burghers,  six  thousand  and  eight 
hundred  protested,  but  all  in  vain. 

"  Bishop  Colenso  declared  that  '  the  sly,  underhand  way  in 
which  the  Transvaal  has  been  annexed  appears  to  me  to  be  un- 
worthy of  the  English  name.' 

"  The  Free  State  expressed  her  heartfelt  regret  at  the  an- 
nexation. 

"  Even  Gladstone  expressed  his  sorrow  and  acknowledged 
that  in  the  Transvaal  England  was  placed  in  the  position  of  the 
free  subjects  of  a  kingdom  coercing  the  free  subjects  of  a  re- 
public to  accept  a  citizenship  to  which  they  w'ere  averse. 

"  But  everything  was  of  no  avail. 

"  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley  declaTed :  '  As  long  as  the  sun  shines 
the  Transvaal  will  remain  British  territory,'  and  again  '  that  the 


54-  Johri  Bull's  Crime 

Vaal  River  would  sooner  return  to  its  source  over  the  Drakens- 
bergen  than  England  would  give  up  the  Transvaal.' 

"  Shepstone's  principal  reasons  for  the  annexation  were  that 
the  Transvaal  could  not  conquer  Secucuni  and  that  the  Zulu 
nation  threatened  to  overwhelm  the  Transvaal.  As  regards 
Secucuni  he  had  a  little  earlier  prayed  for  peace  and  had  been 
made  to  pay  a  fine  of  two  thousand  head  of  cattle  by  the  re- 
public. As  regards  the  Zulu  nation  the  menacing  danger  had 
never  been  felt  by  the  Republic.  Four  hundred  burghers  had 
broken  the  Zulu  power  in  1838  and  crowned  Panda,  the  father 
of  Ceteywayo,  in  1840.  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  in  a  letter  to  Sir  Rob- 
ert Herbert  on  January  12th.  1879.  admits  that  it  had  appeared 
strange  to  him  that  the  Zulus  had  so  long  left  Natal  unmo- 
lested, until  he  found  that  the  Zulus  had  been  time  after  time 
completely  crushed  by  the  Boers  in  the  time  of  Dingaan. 
Shortly  before  the  annexation  a  small  patrol  of  Transvaal 
burghers  had  pursued  the  paramount  chief  Umbeline  into  the 
heart  of  Zululand.  But  Colenso  shows  what  a  treacherous 
stalkinghorse  the  Zulu  trouble  was.  There  was  a  dispute  last- 
ing several  years  between  the  Transvaal  and  the  Zulus  con- 
cerning a  strip  of  land  on  the  border  which  had  been  in  posses- 
sion of  the  Boers  and  had  been  inhabited  by  them  since  1869. 
Before  the  annexation,  when  Shepstone  was  still  in  Natal,  the 
matter  had  been  referred  to  him  and  he  had  given  his  verdict 
in  favor  of  the  Zulus  and  against  the  Boers.  There  could  thus 
be  no  reason  for  a  Zulu  attack  upon  the  Transvaal.  But  Shep- 
stone was  scarcely  ruler  in  the  Transvaal  before  he  proclaimed 
it  British  territory,  and  he  then  found  that  the  evidence  in  favor 
of  the  contention  of  the  Boers  was  so  strong  that  the  Zulus  had 
no  claim  to  the  land  in  question.  The  Governor  of  Natal,  Bul- 
wer,  appointed  a  border  commission  who  decided  in  favor  of  the 


What  Secretary  Reitz  Says  55 

Zulus.  l)Ut  Shepstone  was  furious  against  this  award  and  Sir 
Bartle  Frere  and  the  High  Commissioner  followed  him  blindly. 
In  consequence  of  this.  England  sent  an  ultimatum  to  the  Zulus, 
and  the  Zulu  war  followed,  which  has  done  incalculable  harm 
to  the  English  name  in  South  Africa  among  the  natives. 

''  We  thus  see  that  Shepstone's  two  principal  motives  were 
without  foundation. 

"  It  was,  of  course,  difficult  for  the  Secretary  of  State  to 
abide  by  his  instructions,  '  to  annex,  if  the  majority  of  the  peo- 
ple were  in  favor  of  such  a  measure.'  in  face  of  the  fact  that 
six  thousand  eight  hundred  out  of  the  eight  thousand  burghers 
had  protested  against  it ;  but  without  any  semblance  of  reason 
both  Shepstone  and  Carnarvon  declared  that  the  signatures  to 
the  protesting  petition  had  been  obtained  by  intimidation.  The 
case  was.  however,  exactly  the  reverse.  \Mien  the  meeting 
was  held  at  Pretoria  to  sign  the  petition,  Shepstone  had  the 
cannons  directed  at  the  assembled  multitude.  And  not  content 
with  this,  he  published  a  proclamation  warning  and  threatening 
those  who  should  sign  the  petition. 

'''\\'hen  it  was  pointed  out  what  a  gross  violation  of  the  Sand 
River  convention  the  annexation  was.  Sir  Bartle  Frere  said  in 
1870  that  if  we  wished  to  go  back  to  the  Sand  River  con^•ention 
we  might  as  well  go  back  to  the  creation ! 

"  It  must  also  not  be  forgotten  that  the  ground  which  ac- 
cording to  the  Keate  verdict  in  1870  fell  outside  the  republic 
was  now  incorporated  with  the  Transvaal  as  belonging  to  the 
Transvaal. 

"  There  were  also  other  things  which  had  been  wrong  under 
the  republican  rule  of  the  Transvaal,  but  which  were  perfectlv 
right  under  the  Br'tish  rule.  In  the  Secucuni  war  against  the 
republic  the  British  High  Commissioner  had  protested  against 


^6  John  Bull's  Crime 

the  use  by  the  republic  of  Swazies  and  volunteers  against 
Secucuni's  people.  Under  British  rule  the  war  was  continued 
first  with  troops,  but  when  they  were  beaten  by  the  Kaffirs  an 
army  of  Swazies  and  volunteers  was  levied.  How  great  the 
number  of  Swazies  thus  employed  must  have  been  can  be  judged 
from  the  fact  that  five  hundred  Swazies  were  killed.  The 
atrocities  committed  by  the  Swazie  allies  of  the  English  at  this 
time  were  horrible. 

"  Colenso,  who  had  the  opportunity  for  judging,  in  dealing 
with  the  consequences  of  the  annexation  of  the  republic,  says : 
'  The  Zulu  trouble,  as  well  as  the  war  with  Secucuni,  is  the 
direct  result  of  that  unfortunate  annexation  of  the  Transvaal, 
which  would  have  met  us  half  way  if  we  had  not  taken  pos- 
session of  the  land  as  a  lot  of  freebooters,  partly  by  trickery  and 
partly  by  bullying.'  And  in  another  place  :  '  And  thus  we  an- 
nexed the  Transvaal,  and  that  deed  brought  in  its  train  as  its 
Nemesis  the  Zulu  trouble.' 

"  That  it  was  always  the  intention  of  the  British  government 
to  make  use  of  the  Zulus  to  crush  the  Transvaal  at  the  proper 
moment  is  evident  from  a  letter  written  by  Sir  Bartle  Frere, 
the  then  High  Commissioner,  to  General  Ponsonby,  in  which  he 
says :  '  It  is  a  fact  that  when  the  Boer  republic  was  a  rival  and 
a  half  hostile  power,  it  was  a  weakness  in  Natal  to  pat  the 
Zulus  as  we  pat  a  tame  wolf  which  only  devours  our  neighbor's 
sheep.  It  is  true,  we  always  said,  "  Don't,"  but  now  that  both 
flocks  belong  to  us  we  feel  a  bit  perplexed  when  we  must  check 
them.' 

"  And  again  in  a  letter  to  Sir  Robert  Herbert :  '  The  English 
were  well  inclined  to  help  the  Zulus  against  the  Boers.  It  was 
a  shock  to  us  to  find  out  how  close  to  the  wind  the  predecessors 
of  the  present  Natal  government  had  sailed  in  supporting  the 


What  Secretary  Reitz  Says  57 

Zulus  against  the  Boers.  John  Dunn  declares  that  he  fur- 
nished Zulus  with  guns  with  the  knowledge  of  the  government. 
[Thus  here  was  also  a  breach  of  the  Sand  River  convention.] 
It  is  undoubted  that  in  Xatal  sympathy  was  strongly  in  favor 
of  tlie  Zulus  against  the  Boers,  and  what  is  still  worse,  it  is  so 
to-day.' 

"  Under  these  circumstances  the  annexation  took  place.  The 
English  did  not  scruple  to  make  use  of  Kaf^r  allies  against  the 
Boers  as  they  had  done  at  Boomplaats.  And  in  every  way  we 
tried  to  bring  home  t<»  the  British  nation  the  gross  injustice  that 
was  done  here,  but  even  the  High  Commissioner,  while  he  heard 
the  words  uttered  from  our  bleeding  hearts,  wished  that  he  had 
brought  artillery  with  him  to  disperse  us,  and  misrepresented 
and  slandered  us  w  ithout  ceasing. 

"  We  had  hopefully  said  that  our  people  believed  that  if  the 
Queen  of  England  and  the  English  nation  knew  that  a  people 
was  being  oppressed  in  the  Transvaal  they  would  never  per- 
mit it. 

"  But  now  we  were  forced  to  say  that  we  could  no  longer  talk 
to  England,  as  there  was  no  one  there  who  heard  us.  With 
confidence  in  the  Almighty  God  of  Right  and  Justice  we  girt  our 
loins  for  a  seemingly  hopeless  struggle,  firmly  convinced  that 
whether  we  won  or  whether  we  perished,  the  sun  of  libertv 
would  rise  out  of  the  morning  clouds  in  South  Africa.  Bv  the 
omnipotence  of  God  we  were  victorious,  and  our  liberty  again 
seemed  secure  for  a  time. 

"At  Bronkhorst  Spruit,  at  Langsnek.  at  Ingogoand  at  Ama- 
juba  God  gave  us  the  victory,  though  in  all  these  battles  the 
British  troops  were  more  numerous  and  better  equipped  thaii 
ourselves.  After  these  victories  had  added  new  strength  to  our 
arguments,  the  British  government  decided,  under  the  leader- 


5 8  John  Bull's  Crime 

ship  of  the  never-to-be-forgotten  Gladstone,  to  nullify  the  an- 
nexation and  reinstate  us  in  the  possession  of  our  violated 
rights. 

"  A  simple  minded  person  would  think  that  the  only  proper 
way  to  effect  this  retrocession  would  have  been  for  the  British 
government  in  future  to  stick  to  the  terms  of  the  Sand  River 
convention.  If  the  annexation  was  in  itself  wrong,  and  not 
only  because  it  had  been  followed  by  the  Boer  victories,  then  it 
ought  to  have  been  abolished  with  all  its  consequences  and  a 
restitutio  in  integrum  of  that  republic  should  have  taken  place ; 
in  other  words,  the  Boers  should  have  been  placed  in  the  same 
position  they  had  occupied  before  the  annexation.  But  what 
happened?  With  a  magnanimity  which  the  English  press  and 
orators  never  weary  of  holding  before  our  eyes,  they  gave  back 
our  land,  but  the  violation  of  the  Sand  River  convention  was 
not  nullified.  Instead  of  sovereign  liberty,  we  were  allowed  in- 
ternal government  with  tlie  reservation  to  Her  Majesty  of  the 
suzerain  power  over  the  republic.  This  took  place  in  the  Pre- 
toria convention,  the  preamble  of  which  gave  self-government 
to  the  '  Transvaal  State  '  with  the  distinct  reservation  of  the 
suzerainty,  and  the  articles  of  which  tried  to  establish  a  modus 
vivendi  between  that  self-government  and  the  suzerainty. 
Under  this  twofold  administration  the  republic  was  for  three 
years  governed  by  two  heterogeneous  principles,  that  of  repre- 
sentative self-government  and  that  represented  by  the  British 
Resident.  This  system  of  course  could  not  work  in  practice. 
The  settlement  of  iS8i  also  does  not  seem  to  have  been  intended 
as  a  final  one.  Above  all,  the  suzerainty  was  a  monstrosity  that 
could  not  be  reconciled  with  practical  reality.  With  the  ap- 
proval of  the  British  government,  therefore,  a  republican  depu- 
tation repaired  to  London  in  order  to  get  the  status  of  the  re- 


What  Secretary  Reitz  Says  59 

public  altered  and  to  obtain  a  new  convention  instead  of  that  of 
Pretoria.  They  proposed  to  return  to  the  position  under  the 
Sand  River  convention,  and  that  would  have  been  the  onlv 
honest  and  statesmanlike  settlement.  The  ministry,  however, 
which  (according  to  one  of  the  witnesses  on  the  British  side,  the 
Rev.  D.  P.  Faure)  stood  In  unwholesome  awe  of  the  British  Par- 
liament, refused  to  accede  to  this  and  made  a  counter  proposal, 
which  was  eventual!}-  accepted  by  the  deputation,  and  the  terms 
of  which  are  therefore  to-day  of  the  greatest  importance.  That 
draft  law  comprised  the  Pretoria  convention  with  certain  altera- 
tions which  were  intended  to  make  it  acceptable  to  the  deputa- 
tion. The  pream1)]e  in  which  self-government,  with  the  reser- 
vation of  the  suzerainty,  was  given  to  the  republic  was  alto- 
gether struck  out  l)y  Lord  Derby,  the  then  Secretary  of  State 
for  the  Colonies,  and  in  this  way.  as  a  matter  of  course,  the 
suzerainty  also  fell  away  when  the  draft  proposal  was  event- 
ually accepted.  To  mal<e  it  still  more  tangible  that  the  status 
of  the  Transvaal  was  placed  on  another  basis,  the  name  '  Trans- 
vaal State'  was  altered  into  'South  African  Republic'  the  name 
it  had  borne  under  the  Sand  River  convention.  All  the  articles 
in  the  Pretoria  convention  which  gave  the  British  government 
any  authority  to  meddle  in  the  internal  affairs  of  this  repulilic 
were  struck  out. 

"  As  to  foreign  affairs  a  great,  one  may  say  a  radical.  aUera- 
tion  was  made.  The  Pretoria  convention  stipulated,  in  Article 
II..  that  '  Her  ^Majesty  reserved  to  herself  the  control  of  the 
foreign  relations  with  the  said  state,  including  the  making  of 
treaties  and  the  regulation  of  diplomatic  and  consular  agents 
in  foreign  parts.'  For  this  was  substituted  Article  I\^.  of  the 
London  convention,  which  ran  as  follows: 

"  '  The  South  African  Republic  will  conclude  no  treaty  or 


6o  John  Bull's  Crime 

engagement  with  any  state  or  nation  other  than  the  Orange 
Free  State,  nor  with  any  native  tribe  to  the  eastward  or  west- 
ward of  the  repubhc,  until  the  same  has  been  approved  by  Her 
Majesty  the  Queen.  Such  appi-oval  shall  be  considered  to  have 
been  granted  if  Her  Majesty's  government  shall  not  within 
six  months  after  receiving  the  copy  of  such  treaty  (which  shall 
be  delivered  to  them  immediately  on  its  completion)  have  noti- 
fied that  the  conclusion  of  such  treaty  is  in  conflict  with  the  in- 
terests of  Great  Britain  or  of  any  of  Her  Majesty's  possessions 
in  South  Africa.' 

"  Thus  the  right  of  the  British  government  to  control  all  our 
foreign  relations  and  to  carry  on  all  our  diplomatic  intercourse 
by  means  of  our  treaties  and  conventions  after  they  w^ere  com- 
pleted, and  then  only  in  the  interests  of  Great  Britain  or  Her 
Majesty's  possessions  in  South  Africa. 

"  It  w^as  this  Article  IV.  which  gave  the  semblance,  but  only 
the  semblance,  of  truth  to  Lord  Derby's  declaration  in  the 
House  of  Lords  that,  though  he  had  dropped  the  '  suzerainty,' 
its  substance  remained.  It  would  have  been  more  correct  to  say 
that  by  the  disappearance  of  the  suzerainty  the  South  African 
Republic  could  no  longer  be  called  a  half-sovereign  state;  that 
it  had  emerged  as  a  free,  independent,  sovereign,  international 
state,  the  only  I'.mit  to  its  sovereignty  being  the  one  mentioned 
in  Article  IV.  Sovereignty  need  not  necessarily  be  absolute. 
Belgium  is  certainly  a  sovereign  international  state,  though  it  is 
bound  to  a  position  of  permanent  neutrality.  In  this  category 
of  states,  whose  sovereignty  is  definitely  limited  in  this  or  that 
respect,  but  is  nevertheless  indispensable,  the  South  African 
Republic  also  falls." 

After  th's  narration  of  the  true  facts  concerning  the  laying  of 
the  foundation  stones  of  the  Boer  republics  by  one  who  is  most 


What  Secretary  Reitz  Says 


6i 


competent  and  reliable,  it  would  seem  that  no  fair-niinded  per- 
son could  for  a  mixnent  refrain  from  sympathizing  with  the 
Boers,  who  love  liberty  and  independence,  and  who  feel  that  the 
two  little  republics  are  their  country,  that  they  have  a  personal 
proprietorship  in  their  history,  and  who  are  jealous  of  their 
rights  and  want  their  children  and  their  children's  children  to 
be  the  inheritors  of  a  glorious  heritage,  bequeathed  to  them  by 
ancestors  whose  blood  and  tears  cemented  together  the  stones 
of  these  republics. 


MB.  DA  VIS  Ayi>  Ksi_  -'jKr  A  s.  EyUlMi  sPIi  >y  K<  IP  A  I-'TEi;  HA  TTLE. 


^m^^ 


CHAPTER  VI. 

British  charge  of  incompetence  of  Boer  government  and  laxity  of  its  admin- 
istration in  gold  fields  disproven.  Does  not  suffer  by  comparison  with 
other  governments,  and  compared  with  its  critics  shows  to  advantage. 
Boers'  innate  sense  of  justice  and  amply-demonstrated  capacity  for 
self-government.  Untrue  that  they  were  cruel  toward  natives.  Spirit 
of  capitalism  as  incarnate  in  freebooters  of  the  Cecil  Rhodes  type 
alone  responsible  for  difficulties.  Ceaseless  clash  of  the  two  policies 
in  South  Africa — that  of  the  Boers,  based  on  liberty  and  national  senti- 
ment, and  that  of  the  English,  founded  on  financial  interests  and 
imperial  jingoism.  The  suzerainty  in  dispute.  Just  and  moderate 
proposals  of  the  Boers  for  arbitration.  Chamberlain's  insolent  reply. 
His  presumptuous  claims  and  unreasonable  demands,  notwith.standing 
treaty  stipulations.  Lame  and  impotent  pretence  for  grievance  over 
the  so  called  Lombard,  Edgar  and  Amphitheatre  cases. 

IT  had  been  frequently  alleged  by  those  in  sympathy  with 
the  British  side  in  the  South  African  struggle  that  the 
Boer  government  v.as  very  lax  and  weak  in  its  adminis- 
tration of  the  territory  in  which  the  gold  fields  were  located, 
that  property  and  life  were  very  insecure,  that  the  mine  owners 
were  compelled  to  pay  exorbitant  taxes,  that  the  black  natives 
who  worked  in  the  mines  were  treated  in  an  extremely  cruel 
manner,  in  fact,  that  they  were  treated  as  slaves.  These  and 
many  other  charges  have  been  made  by  those  who  were  either 
absolutely  ignorant  of  the  true  conditions  or  wilfully  desired  to 
malign  and  misrepresent  the  Boer  government. 

We  have  all  read  of  the  great  excitement  that  has  prevailed 
in  all  localities  when  gold  has  been  suddenly  discovered.  To 
California,  in  1849,  when  gold  was  discovered,  people  flocked 

62 


British  Misrepresentations  63 

from  all  corners  of  the  earth,  and  for  a  time  no  govern- 
ment whatsoever  seemed  to  exist.  So  it  was  in  Australia  and 
in  Alaska.  In  conversation  with  persons  who  mined  in  all 
these  countries  we  found  that  every  one  of  them  who  were  in 
South  Africa  maintained  stoutly  that  the  gold  fields  of  the  Wit- 
watersrand.  in  the  Transvaal,  were  the  best  administered  mining- 
territory  in  the  world. 

But  it  is  exceedingly  poor  taste  on  the  i)art  of  the  Britishers 
to  censure  the  Boer  government,  when  it  is  a  well  known  fact 
that  the  diamond  fields  of  Griqualand  West,  which  were  directly 
administered  by  the  British  government,  were  one  continuous 
scene  of  crime  and  anarcliy.  With  the  discovery  of  gold  in  the 
Transvaal,  the  people  of  that  republic  entered  upon  a  new  stage 
of  its  history. 

From  a  condition  of  great  poverty  the  South  African  Re- 
public was  to  become  in  a  few  years  a  rich  and  prosperous  state, 
and  a  land  in  every  respect  adapted  to  rouse  the  avarice  of  the 
capitalist  and  speculator.  In  a  few  years  the  South  African 
Republic  occupied  the  first  place  in  the  ranks  of  the  gold-pro- 
ducing countries  of  the  world.  The  barren  veldt  of  the  past 
was  covered  with  large  cities,  inhabited  by  a  speculating  and 
industrial  population  collected  from  all  the  corners  of  the  earth. 
The  Boers,  who  had  hitherto  been  shepherds  and  hunters,  were 
now  called  upon  to  take  upon  themselves  one  of  the  most  diffi- 
cult tasks  in  the  world,  namely,  the  administration  of  govern- 
ment of  the  great  mining  population  which  had  suddenly  risen 
among  them  under  the  most  unusual  circumstances.  And  how 
have  they  fulfilled  this  task  ?  Olive  Shreiner.  who,  in  her  bril- 
liant pamphlet  recently  published  gives  evidence  of  a  deeper 
insight  into  the  true  state  of  afifairs  in  South  Africa  than  any 
other  writer  on  South  Africa,  says  about  this : 


64  John  Bull's  Crime 

"  '  We  put  it  to  all  generous  and  just  spirits,  whether  of 
statesmen  or  thinkers,  whether  the  little  republic  does  not  de- 
serve our  sympathy,  the  sympathy  which  wise  minds  give  to  all 
who  have  to  deal  with  new  and  complex  problems,  where  the 
past  experience  of  humanity  has  not  marked  out  a  path — 
and  whether,  if  we  touch  the  subject  at  all,  it  is  not  nec- 
essary that  it  should  be  in  that  large,  impartial,  truth-seek- 
ing spirit  in  which  humanity  demands  we  should  approach 
all  great  social  difficulties  and  questions?' 

"  We  put  it  further  to  such  intelligent  minds  as  have  im- 
partially watched  the  action  and  endeavors  of  the  little  republic 
in  dealing  with  its  great  problems,  whether,  when  all  the  many 
sides  and  complex  conditions  are  considered,  it  has  not  man- 
fully and  wonderfully  endeavored  to  solve  them?  It  is  some- 
times said  that  when  one  stands  looking  down  from  the  edge  of 
this  hill  at  the  great  mining  camp  of  Johannesburg  stretching 
beneath,  with  its  heaps  of  white  sand  and  debris  mountain  high, 
its  mining  chimneys  belching  forth  smoke,  with  its  70,000 
Kaffirs,  with  its  80,000  men  and  women,  white  or  colored,  of 
all  nationalities,  gathered  here  in  the  space  of  a  few  years,  on 
the  spot  where  fifteen  years  ago  the  Boer's  son  guided  his 
sheep  to  the  water  and  the  Boer's  wife  sat  alone  at  evening  at 
the  house  door  to  watch  the  sunset,  we  are  looking  upon  one  of 
the  most  wonderful  spectacles  on  earth.  And  it  is  wonderful; 
but,  as  we  look  at  it,  the  thought  always  arises  within  us  of 
something  more  wonderful  yet — the  marvelous  manner  in 
which  a  little  nation  of  simple  folk,  living  in  peace  in  the  land 
they  loved,  far  from  the  rush  of  cities  and  the  concourse  of  men, 
have  risen  to  the  difficulties  of  their  condition;  how  they,  with- 
out instruction  in  statecraft,  or  traditionary  rules  of  policy, 
have  risen  to  face  their  great  difficulties,  and  have  sincerely 


British  Misrepresentations  65 

endeavored  to  meet  them  in  a  large  spirit,  and  have  largely 
succeeded.  Nothing  but  that  curious  and  wonderful  instinct 
for  statecraft  and  the  organization  and  arrangement  of  new 
social  conditions  which  seem  inherent  as  a  gift  of  the  blood  to 
all  those  peoples  wdio  took  their  rise  in  the  little  deltas  on  the 
northeast  of  the  continent  of  Europe,  where  the  English  and 
Dutch  peoples  alike  took  their  rise,  could  have  made  it  possible. 
We  do  not  say  that  the  Transvaal  Republic  has  among  its 
guides  and  rulers  a  Solon  or  a  Lycurgus;  but  it  has  to-day 
among  the  men  guiding  its  destiny,  men  of  brave  and  earnest 
spirit  who  are  seeking  manfully  and  profoundly  to  deal  with  the 
great  problems  before  them  in  a  wide  spirit  of  humanity  and 
justice.  And  we  do  again  repeat  that  the  strong  sympathy 
of  all  earnest  and  thoughtful  minds,  not  only  in  Africa,  but  in 
England,  should  be  with  them." 

All  who  have  investigated  the  matter  declare  that  the  taxes 
in  the  gold  fields  of  South  Africa  are  less  than  in  the  gold  fields 
of  any  other  country  in  the  world. 

The  charge  that  the  black  natives  were  cruelly  treated  by  the 
Boers  was  absolutely  without  foundation.  They  were  treated 
just  like  any  member  of  the  family.  They  were  well  fed  and 
were  paid  a  reasonable  wage  for  their  labor.  If  any  of 
them  were  treated  cruelly  it  must  be  that  that  treatment  was 
received  at  the  hands  of  British  agents,  for  Britishers  were 
operating  the  mines  entirely.  British  capital  and  British  agents 
were  in  entire  control  and  employed  all  labor,  hence  the  British 
were  responsible  for  the  treatment  of  all  black  natives  who 
labored  in  their  mines. 

Desiring  to  know  the  facts  from  the  Boer  standpoint  as  to 
the  exact  conditions  prevailing  in  the  gold  fields  that  gave  rise 
to  the  bitter  controversy  concerning  them,  I  took  occasion  to 


66  John  Bull's  Crime 

ask  Secretary  Reitz  to  give  me  a  correct  statement  on  this  very 
important  matter.  He  said  that  the  whole  cjuestion  had  already 
been  discussed  quite  fully  in  a  pamphlet  recently  published 
entitled  "  A  Century  of  Wrong,"  and  with  which  he  had  some- 
thing to  do.  but  that  he  would  gladly  set  forth  the  real  facts 
again,  which  he  proceeded  to  do  as  follows : 

"  The  natural  inequality  of  mankind  finds  expression  in  the 
different  kinds  of  influence  which  one  man  can  possess  and 
exert  over  another;  this  influence  may  be  religious,  moral, 
political  or  purely  material.  This  last  (material)  sort  of  influ- 
ence usually  takes  the  form  of  money — the  monetary  nexus  as 
an  English  writer  has  expressed  it.  An  unusual  collection  of 
this  kind  of  influence  leads  to  so-called  capitalism,  just  as  an 
unusual  collection  of  political  influence  leads  to  tyranny  and  an 
unusual  collection  of  religious  influence  to  hierarchical  despot- 
ism. This  capitalism  threatens  to  become  as  dangerous  to 
mankind  in  our  time  as  the  political  tyranny  of  the  old  Eastern 
world  and  the  religious  tyranny  of  the  middle  ages  v.-ere  in  their 
respective  times. 

"  In  a  country  full  of  rich  mines,  as  in  South  Africa,  capital- 
ism has  as  a  matter  of  course  a  great  natural  function  to  fulfil. 
Unfortunately  it  has  from  the  very  commencement  tried  to 
exceed  its  natural  limits,  to  obtain  political  influence  and  in  this 
way  to  make  all  other  forms  of  power  and  influence  subservient 
to  its  designs. 

''  The  spirit  of  South  African  capitalism  has  its  incarnation 
in  Mr.  C.  J.  Rhodes,  who  succeeded  in  bringing  about  the 
amalgamation  of  the  thousand  and  one  conflicting  interests  of 
the  diamond  fields  into  one  large  corporation,  of  which  he  was 
himself  the  head.  Though  he  had  perhaps  no  unusual 
natural  genius  for  politics,  yet  he  was  irresistibly  drawn  in  that 


British  Misrepresentations  67 

direction,  and  by  means  of  his  financial  influence,  in  addition  to 
a  double  share  of  the  elasticity  of  conscience  common  to  his 
class,  he  succeeded  in  obtaining  for  himself  the  post  of  Prime 
Minister  of  the  Cape  Colony  and  the  support  of  the  Afrikander 
party  in  all  its  power  and  solidarity.  The  Afrikanders  of  the 
Cape  Colony  believed  in  him,  because  they  were  fully  convinced 
of  the  great  necessity  of  the  co-operation  and  fusion  of  the 
white  races  in  South  Africa,  and  he,  a  loyal  Englishman,  pos- 
sessing the  fullest  confidence  of  the  colonial  Afrikanders, 
seemed  to  them  the  very  person  to  realize  their  ideal. 

"  A  thoughtful  spectator  of  this  brotherhood  of  Afrikander- 
dom  and  capitalism  could  have  foretold  that  a  breach  would 
occur  sooner  or  later.  For  Afrikander  policy  is  based  on  a 
deeply  rooted  and  truly  national  sentiment,  on  a  pure  political 
conviction,  which  could  never  become  subservient  to  financial 
interests. 

"  On  the  other  side  was  the  so-called  jingoism — a  form  of 
party  politics  without  any  solid  or  real  faith,  which  busies  itself 
in  using  big  words  and  playing  with  high-sounding  ideas  and 
principles,  a  policy  which  always  appeals  to  motives  of  self- 
interest,  of  illegal  annexation  of  what  belongs  to  others,  a 
policy  which  springs  from  that  spirit  of  brag  so  deeply  rooted 
in  human  nature — a  policy,  in  fact,  in  direct  conflict  with  the 
true  spirit  of  religion,  with  the  aesthetic  sentiment  of  mankind 
and  with  the  sentiments  of  humility  and  moderation  which 
form  the  natural  basis  of  all  morality. 

"  Here  then  was  an  opportunity  for  establishing  a  lasting 
alliance,  between  capitalism  with  its  tremendous  material  influ- 
ence, but  without  any  exalted  ideas  or  principles,  on  the  one 
side  and  jingoism,  poor,  empty,  soulless,  but  with  a  rich  store  of 
high-flown  ideas  and  principles  and  selfish  inclinations,  on  the 


68  John  Bull's  Crime 

other  side.  The  one  was  just  suited  to  supplement  the  other, 
and  thereby  enter  into  a  natural  alliance,  which  is  now  becom- 
ing a  menace  throughout  the  world  to  the  greatest  and  most 
lasting  interests  of  mankind.  That  capitalistic  jingoism  is  the 
tree  from  w^hich  poor  South  Africa  is  at  present  plucking  such 
bitter  fruit. 

"  Mr.  Rhodes,  with  that  treacherous  duplicity  which  is  the 
abiding  characteristic  of  British  policy  in  South  Africa,  worked 
openly  in  the  fullest  sympathy  with  the  Colonial  Afrikanders, 
while  in  secret  he  was  plotting  with  jingoism  against  the 
Afrikanders  and  the  South  African  republics.  In  the  Cape 
Colony  he  had  the  Afrikanders  in  his  power.  He  would  now 
try  to  obtain  the  same  influence — not  so  much  for  himself  per- 
sonally as  for  capitalism,  with  which  his  own  interests  were 
identified — in  the  South  African  Republic  with  its  rich  gold 
mines.  If  he  succeeded  in  doing  this,  he  would  have  gained 
his  personal  object,  and  capital  would  be  crowned  absolute 
despot  of  South  Africa. 

"  With  his  eye  fixed  on  this  purpose,  he  and  other  capitalists 
began  to  set  on  foot  a  political  agitation  against  the  repul:)lic  in 
Johannesburg  in  1892.  In  a  place  like  Johannesburg,  where 
much  liquor  is  consumed,  where  minds  are  always  in  a  state  of 
excitement,  on  account  of  the  high  altitude  and  the  rush  of 
business,  and  where  there  is  just  that  measure  of  real  grievances 
calculated  to  give  the  semblance  of  truth  to  imaginary  griev- 
ances, it  was  easy  enough  to  bring  about  a  political  fermenta- 
tion in  a  very  short  time  by  the  lavish  use  of  money. 

"  Such  was  the  beginning  of  the  National  Union  movement, 
which  began  in  Johannes1)urg  in  1892,  and  whose  followers 
almost  exclusively  consisted  of  creatures  and  instruments  of  the 
capitalists  and  a  small  number  of  honest  blockheads  and  en- 


British  Misrepresentations  69 

thusiasts  who,  of  course,  do  not  think  deep  enough  to  penetrate 
the  purpose  and  tendency  of  such  movements  and  are  generally 
found  on  the  wrong  side.  The  capitalists  certainly  kept  them- 
selves altogether  in  the  background  so  that  the  movement  might 
appear  to  be  a  popular  one.  The  capitalists  of  Johannesburg, 
however,  were  too  theatrical,  and  their  thirst  for  notoriety  was 
too  great  to  be  suppressed  forever.  And  thus  it  came  about 
that  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  they  took  their  natural  place 
at  the  head  of  the  opera-bouffe  agitation. 

"  They  commenced  by  undermining  the  Boer  policy  through 
the  lowest  and  dirtiest  means,  so  that  they  might  in  this  way 
obtain  control  of  all  the  legislative  and  administrative  power  in 
reference  to  the  mines.  They  had  persuaded  themselves  and 
the  world  that  the  Boers  were  a  corrupt  lot  and  they  therefore 
at  once  resorted  to  bribery  to  effect  their  object. 

"  Thus  Lionel  Phillips  wrote  to  Beit  in  London,  on  June  10, 
1894: 

"  '  I  don't,  of  course,  want  to  meddle  in  politics,  and  as  to  the 
franchise,  do  not  think  many  people  care  a  fig  about  it.' 

"  And  again,  on  the  i6th  of  June,  1894 : 

"  '  I  may  here  say  that,  as  you,  of  course,  know,  I  have  no 
desire  for  political  rights,  and  believe  as  a  whole  the  community 
is  not  ambitious  in  this  respect.  .  .  . 

"  '  The  bewaari:)laatsen  question  will,  I  think,  be  settled  in 
our  favor,  but  at  a  cost  of  twenty-five  thousand  pounds.    .   .    . 

"  '  It  is  proposed  to  spend  a  good  deal  of  money  in  order  to 
secure  a  better  Raad,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  the 
spending  of  money  on  elections  has  by  recent  legislation  been 
made  a  criminal  offence,  and  the  matter  will  have  to  be  carefully 
handled.' 

"  x^.nd  again,  on  July  15th,  1894: 


/' 


John  Bull's  Crime 


"  '  Our  trump  card  is  a  fund  of  ten  to  fifteen  thousand  pounds 
to  improve  the  Raad.  Unfortunately  the  companies  have  no 
secret  service  fund.  I  must  devise  a  way.  We  don't  want  to 
shell  out  ourselves.' 

"  Here  we  get  a  peep  behind  the  curtains  and  see  how  already 
in  1894  the  capitalists  tried  to  degrade  and  to  destroy  our 
public  life  by  means  which  did  not  even  stop  at  the  criminal 
laws  of  the  land,  to  say  nothing  of  elementary  morality. 

"  And  have  they  been  successful  ?  Are  the  people  and  the 
Volksraad  as  corruptible  as  they  thought  and  as  they  still  wish 
to  persuade  the  world?  Their  failure  is  the  best  and  most 
convincing  answer  to  this. 

"  If  bribery  on  a  great  scale  was  not  able  to  secure  the 
triumph  of  capitalism  over  society,  then  there  yet  remained  the 
other  trump  card  of  political  jingoism.  The  High  Commis- 
sioner was  sounded  by  Mr.  Phillips.  And  what  was  the  an- 
swer of  Sir  Henry  Loch,  Her  Majesty's  representative  in  South 
Africa  ?  In  the  same  book  of  secret  correspondence  we  find 
the  following  letter,  dated  July  ist,  1894,  to  Wernher,  another 
member  of  the  gigantic  firm  of  Wernher,  Beit  &  Co. : 

"  '  Sir  Henry  Loch  (with  whom  I  had  two  long  private  inter- 
views alone)  asked  me  some  very  pointed  cjuestions — such  as: 
What  arms  we  had  in  Johannesburg,  whether  the  population 
could  hold  the  place  for  six  days  until  help  could  arrive,  etc., 
etc. — and  stated  plainly  that  if  there  had  been  three  thousand 
rifles  and  ammunition  here,  he  would  certainly  have  come  over,' 
and  so  on  in  the  same  strain.  Sir  Henry  Loch  has  corroborated 
these  assertions  by  openly  boasting  of  his  plans  to  make  an 
attack  on  the  South  African  Republic  two  years  later  in  the 
House  of  Lords. 

"  And  all  this  happened  while  he  was  the  guest  of  our  gov- 


British  Misrepresentations  71 

ernment  and  was  engaged  in  friendly  negotiations  concerning 
the  interests  of  British  subjects.  To  such  a  low  level  British 
policy  in  South  Africa  had  then  already  sunk !  Within  two 
years,  however,  a  yet  deeper  abyss  was  to  reveal  itself. 

"  The  secret  conspiracy  of  capitalists  and  jingoes  to  over- 
throw the  Republic  now  began  to  grow  rapidly,  for  just  at  this 
critical  period  Mr.  Chamberlain  became  Secretary  of  State  for 
the  Colonies.  In  the  secret  correspondence  of  the  conspirators 
continual  reference  is  made  to  the  colonial  office  in  Downing 
street  in  a  way,  which,  taken  in  connection  with  later  dis- 
closures and  later  suppression  of  the  truth,  has  left  the  public 
over  the  whole  world  under  the  impression  that  the  colonial 
office  was  cognizant  of,  if  not  accessory  to,  the  mean  attack  on 
the  South  African  Republic. 

"  It  is  not  necessary  to  go  into  the  details  of  the  Jameson 
invasion.  The  world  has  not  yet  forgotten  how  the  adminis- 
trator of  a  British  territory,  in  execution  of  the  purpose  of  a 
conspiracy  at  whose  head  stood  the  Prime  Minister  of  the  Cape 
Colony,  entered  the  South  African  Republic  with  an  armed 
body  of  troops  in  order  to  assist  the  capitalistic  revolution  of 
Johannesburg  in  overthrowing  the  Boer  government ;  how  that 
invasion  and  that  revolution  were  frustrated  by  the  vigilance  of 
the  Boers;  how  Jameson  and  his  band  of  robbers  were  handed 
over  to  the  English  government  for  trial,  though  the  Boers  had 
the  power  and  the  right  to  shoot  them  down  as  robbers;  how 
the  whole  lot  (^f  Johannesburg  capitalists  pleaded  guilty  to  high 
treason  and  sedition ;  how,  instead  of  confiscating  all  their  pos- 
sessions according  to  the  law,  and  in  this  way  giving  the  final 
blow  to  capitalism  in  South  Africa,  the  government  of  the 
South  African  Republic  pardoned  them  (a  magnanimity  which 
they  repaid  three  years  afterward  by  setting  on  foot  a  still 


72  John  Bull's  Crime 

more  dangerous  agitation  against  the  republic)  ;  how  at  the 
instance  of  the  Afrikander  party  in  the  Cape  Colony  an  inquiry 
was  held  into  the  causes  of  the  raid;  how  that  inquiry  degen- 
erated into  a  base  attack  on  the  government  of  the  deeply 
injured  South  African  Republic,  and  how  finally  when  the  truth 
was  at  the  point  of  being  revealed  and  the  conspiracy  traced  to 
its  source  in  the  British  cabinet,  the  commission  suddenly  de- 
cided not  to  publish  the  compromising  documents. 

"  Here  we  see  to  what  a  depth  the  grand  old  traditions  of  the 
British  constitution  had  sunk,  under  the  influence  of  the  ever 
increasing  and  all-de\'ouring  money  spirit  and  in  the  hands  of  a 
sharp-tongued  wholesale  merchant,  who,  like  Cleon  of  old, 
posed  as  a  statesman !  . 

"  Treachery  and  violence  had  not  succeeded  in  attaining  their 
object,  and  therefore,  as  Mr.  Rhodes  openly  boasted  before  the 
above  mentioned  commission  of  inquiry,  '  constitutional  means  ' 
would  be  employed  to  make  capitalistic  jingoism  master  of  the 
situation  in  South  Africa. 

"  It  was,  therefore,  only  to  be  expected  that  such  a  treacher- 
ous attack  on  the  republics  would  thoroughly  rouse  the  colonial 
Afrikanders  and  bring  new  forces  into  the  political  arena.  To 
show  the  character  of  the  feeling  roused  by  the  Jameson  raid, 
I  wish  here  to  quote  a  few  sentences  from  an  article  which 
appeared  a  few  months  after  the  invasion  in  0ns  Land,  the 
organ  of  the  colonial  Afrikander  party,  an  article  which  un- 
doubtedly expressed  the  feeling  of  the  Afrikanders  : 

"  '  Has  Providence  not  overruled  the  painful  circumstances 
of  South  Africa  since  the  beginning  of  this  year  to  a  higher 
purpose?     Who  can  doubt  this? 

"  '  The  stab  which  was  intended  to  paralyze  Afrikanderdom 
in  the  republics  once  for  all  has  sent  an  electric  shock  to  the 


British  Misrepresentations  73 

national  heart.  Afrikanderdom  has  waked  up  with  an  earnest- 
ness and  a  consciousness  which  we  had  not  observed  since  the 
glorious  War  of  Independence,  in  1881.  From  the  Limpopo  to 
Cape  Town  the  second  Majuba  has  sent  a  new  inspiration  into 
our  people  and  awakened  a  new  movement.  Through  the 
whole  of  South  Africa  a  new  feeling  has  gone  throbbing 
through  our  people.  The  fanit  and  enervating  imperialism, 
which  was  already  beginning  to  make  our  national  blood  thin 
and  meagre,  is  gradually  disappearing  in  the  fresh  air  which  is 
now  blowing  about  our  people.  Many  who  had  become  tired 
of  the  slow  progress  of  the  national  idea  and  had  surrendered 
themselves  to  imperialism  have  become  converted  and  have 
asked  themselves  what  imperialism  has  accomplished  in  South 
Africa.  Bitterness  and  race  hatred,  indeed.  Since  the  days 
of  Sir  Harry  Smith  and  Theophilus  Shepstone  and  Sir  Bartle 
Frere  until  the  days  of  Leander  Jameson  and  Cecil  Rhodes 
imperialism  in  South  Africa  has  been  accompanied  by  a  policy 
of  blood  and  deceit.  Whatever  the  good  fruits  of  imperialism 
may  be  elsewhere,  in  our  country  its  constant  tendency  in  all 
these  years  has  been  to  force  our  national  life  and  national 
character  into  foreign  grooves,  and  to  consummate  that  force 
with  blood  and  tears.  .  .  .  Truly,  Afrikanderdom  over  the 
whole  of  South  Africa  finds  itself  at  present  at  the  most  critical 
m.oment  of  its  existence.  Now  or  never :  now  or  never  must 
the  foundation  of  an  all  embracing  nationalism  be  laid.  The 
iron  is  glowing  and  the  hour  for  striking  has  come. 

"  '  The  partition  wall  has  disappeared.  Let  us  now  stand 
firmly  together.  The  danger  is  not  yet  past ;  on  the  contrary, 
Afrikanderdom  has  never  been  more  in  need  of  a  policy 
of  colonial  and  republican  union.  And  now  that  the  psy- 
chological moment  has  come,  now  that  our  people  over  the 


ALLEN'S  C(RCf./lAT'%'G  ireRWy 
<«2  COSGHCGS  ?TP!TT.  ' 


74  John  Bull's  Crime 

whole  of  South  Africa  have  awakened,  now  that  a  new  flame 
lias  been  lit  in  our  hearts,  let  us  lay  the  cornerstone  of  a  truly 
United  South  Africa  on  the  foundation  of  a  pure  and  all- 
embracing  national  sentiment.' 

"  Language  like  this  frightened  the  jingoes,  not  because  it 
was  disloyal,  which  it  obviously  was  not,  but  because  it  was  an 
indication  that  the  Afrikanders  had  been  awakened,  and  that 
this  defeat  of  the  jingoes  has  opened  the  way  for  still  greater 
defeats  in  the  future.  A  policy  of  annexation  of  the  republics, 
for  instance,  would  in  future  have  to  reckon  also  with  the 
colonial  Afrikanders.  For  some  time  the  jingoes  hoped  that 
under  an  altered  redistribution  scheme  they  would  secure  the 
majority  in  the  Cape  Parliament.  The  general  election  of 
1898.  however,  gave  the  Afrikander  party  a  small  majority, 
which  was  later  on  increased  under  a  redistribution  scheme 
which  the  jingo  opposition  had  been  strong  enough  to  force 
on  the  government. 

"  Instead  of  frankly  recognizing  that  this  Afrikander  victory 
was  a  natural  consequence  of  the  Jameson  raid,  the  jingoes, 
not  only  in  South  Africa,  but  also  in  England,  began  to  scream 
that  the  authority  and  prestige  of  England  was  menaced  in 
South  Africa;  that,  unless  a  striking  display  of  British  power 
was  soon  made.  South  Africa  would  speedily  be  lost  to  Eng- 
land, and  that  this  menace  to  British  authority  originated  with 
the  republican  propaganda  which  they  alleged  the  South  Afri- 
can Republic  had  begun  to  spread  in  South  Africa.  As  long  as 
the  South  African  Republic  w^ould  not  bow  before  British  au- 
thoritv,  but  with  national  pride  carried  its  youthful  head  high, 
the  other  parts  of  South  Africa  would  be  tempted  to  follow  this 
pernicious  example,  and  there  was  thus  no  security  for  British 
supremacy  on  this  sub-continent.     The  South  African  Repub- 


British  Misrepresentations  y^ 

lie  must  be  humbled  and  bent  in  the  dust ;  thereby  the  Afrikan- 
ders in  other  parts  of  South  Africa  would,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
relinquish  their  alleged  hope  of  a  greater  republican  South 
Africa. 

"But  how  cotild  this  humiliation  be  brought  about?  And 
how  could  it  be  brought  about  throug4i  those  '  constitutional 
means  '  which  the  failure  of  the  Jameson  conspiracy  had  iiiade 
necessary  ? 

"  The  new  Governor  of  Cape  Colony  and  High  Commis- 
sioner for  South  Africa  knew  well  enough  how  to  devise  '  con- 
stitutional means  '  for  humiliating  the  South  African  Republic. 

"  For  was  there  not  the  burning  question  over  the  suzerainty, 
to  which  the  South  African  Republic  itself  had  given  rise,  and 
in  the  following  manner? 

"  After  the  Jameson  raid,  and  with  a  view  to  removing  some 
of  its  causes,  the  Legislature  of  the  South  African  Republic  had 
passed  certain  laws — as,  for  instance,  a  law  for  the  expulsion  of 
dangerous  persons,  a  law  whereby  persons  without  means,  or 
suffering  from  diseases,  could  be  prevented  from  entering  the 
country — which  the  British  government  considered  to  be  a 
breach  of  Article  XIV.  of  the  London  convention.  Article 
IV.  of  the  London  convention  was  similarly  alleged  to  have 
been  broken  by  the  conclusion  of  several  extradition  and  other 
treaties  with  foreign  powers.  On  May  7,  1897,  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  South  African  Republic  replied  to  these 
charges  in  a  very  important  despatch  which,  after  fully  setting 
forth  the  reasons  which  induced  that  government  to  differ  from 
Her  Majesty's  government,  concluded  with  an  appeal  to  arbi- 
tration as  the  fittest  means  of  deciding  the  dispute.  The  words 
of  the  government  of  the  South  African  Republic  were  as 
follows : 


76  John  Bull's  Crime 

"  '  While  the  government  of  the  South  African  Republic 
respect  the  views  of  Her  Majesty's  government,  they  neverthe- 
less feel  confident  of  the  correctness  of  their  own  contentions, 
and  therefore  wish  to  propose  to  Her  ]\Iajesty's  government 
the  principle  of  arbitration,  with  which  the  first  Volksraad  of 
the  South  African  Republic  also  agrees,  in  the  hope  that  the  pro- 
posal will  be  accepted  in  the  same  spirit  of  conciliation  in  which 
it  has  been  made.  They  feel  all  the  more  confidence  in  making 
this  proposal  because  the  arbitral  principle  has  already  been 
laid  down  in  the  London  convention,  in  the  only  case  in  which, 
according  to  their  opinion,  a  difference  could  at  the  time  of  its 
completion  have  been  anticipated,  namely,  with  reference  to 
Article  I. ;  l^ecause,  further,  arbitration  was  proposed  by  Her 
Majesty's  government  and  accq^ted  by  this  government  with 
regard  to  the  dispute  under  Article  XIV.  of  the  convention 
over  the  so-called  Coolie  question  which  was  settled  by  arbitra- 
tion; because  the  Right  Honorable  Secretary  of  State  for  the 
Colonies  favors  the  same  principle  in  his  despatch  of  September 
4th,  1895,  to  the  High  Commissioner  in  Cape  Town,  in  which 
he  says  :  '*  After  1886  as  time  went  on  the  manner  in  which  this 
law  was  interpreted  and  worked  gave  rise  to  complaints  on  the 
part  of  the  British  government,  and  as  it  seemed  impossible  to 
come  to  an  agreement  by  means  of  correspondence,  the  Marquis 
of  Ri^xDU  took  what  is  the  approved  course  in  such  a  case — of 
proposing  to  the  South  African  Republic  that  the  dispute  should 
be  referred  to  arbitration.     This  was  agreed  to.' 

"  '  And,  finally,  because  the  arbitral  principle  in  cases  like 
these  appears  to  the  government  to  be  the  most  impartial,  just 
and  satisfactory  way  out  of  an  existing  dispute,  and  because  one 
of  the  parties  to  a  convention  cannot,  on  any  principle  of  fair- 


British  Misrepresentations  ']'] 

ness,  expect  that  his  interpretation  shall  be  accepted  by  the  other 
party  as  the  only  valid  and  correct  one. 

*'  '  And  although  this  government  is  fully  convinced  that  a 
just  and  impartial  decision  is  perhaps  more  likely  to  be  obtained 
in  South  Africa  than  elsewhere,  yet  considering  the  contradic- 
tory elements,  interests  and  aspirations  which  are  to-day  assert- 
ing themselves  in  South  Africa,  and  with  a  view  to  avoiding 
even  the  appearance  of  wishing  to  influence  a  decision  favorable 
to  itself,  they  wish  to  suggest  that  the  President  of  the  Swiss 
Republic,  who  can  be  considered  as  standing  entirely  outside 
the  question  and  not  to  be  animated  by  sympathy  or  antipathy 
for  either  party,  be  invited  to  appoint  a  competent  jurist  as 
arbitrator,  as  has  often  been  done  in  the  case  of  international 
disputes.  This  government  would  have  no  objection  to  the 
arbitrator  being  subjected  to  a  time  limit  and  wish  to  give  the 
assurance  in  advance  that  they  will  with  the  greatest  pleasure 
submit  to  any  decision  which  might  unexpectedly  be  given 
against  them. 

"  '  The  government  repeats  the  well-meant  wish  that  this 
proposal  may  be  acceptable  to  Her  Majesty's  government,  and, 
as  the  allegations  of  breaches  of  the  convention  appear  to  be 
believed  in  South  Africa  and  bring  and  keep  the  public  mind  in 
a  state  of  tension,  this  government  would  be  pleased  if  Her 
Majesty's  government  could  come  to  a  speedy  decision  on  this 
matter.' 

"  To  this  Her  Majesty's  government  answered  that  under  the 
convention  of  1884,  taken  in  connection  with  the  preamble  of 
the  convention  of  1881  (which  it  considered  to  be  still  existing), 
the  South  African  Republic  was  under  Her  Alajesty's  suzer- 
ainty, and  that  it  was  inconsistent  with  that  subordinate  posi- 


78  John  Bull's  Crime 

tion  of  the  South  African  Repubhc  to  submit  to  arljitration 
questions  arising  between  the  South  African  Republic  and  the 
suzerain  power  on  the  interpretation  of  the  convention  of  1884. 

"  To  prevent  all  misunderstandings  as  to  this  amazing  an- 
swer I  repeat  the  words  of  the  British  despatch : 

"  '  Nineteenth — Finally,  the  government  of  the  South  Afri- 
can Republic  propose  that  all  points  in  dispute  between  her 
Majesty's  government  and  themselves  relating  to  the  conven- 
tion should  be  referred  to  arbitration,  the  arbitrator  to  be  nomi- 
nated by  the  President  of  the  Swiss  Republic. 

"  '  Twentieth — In  making  this  proposal  the  government  of 
the  South  African  Republic  appear  to  have  overlooked  the  dis- 
tinction between  the  conventions  of  1881  and  1884  and  an 
ordinary  treaty  between  two  independent  powers,  questions 
arising  upon  which  may  properly  be  the  subject  of  arbitration. 

"'Twenty-first — By  the  Pretoria  convention  of  1881  Her 
Majesty,  as  sovereign  of  the  Transvaal  territory,  accorded  to 
the  inhabitants  of  that  territory  complete  self-government  sub- 
ject to  the  suzerainty  of  Her  Majesty,  her  heirs  and  successors, 
upon  certain  terms  and  conditions,  subject  to  certain  reserva- 
tions and  limitations  set  forth  in  thirty-three  articles,  and  by 
the  London  convention  of  1884,  Her  Majesty,  while  maintain- 
ing the  preamble  of  the  earlier  instrument,  directed  and  declared 
that  certain  other  articles  embodied  therein  should  be  substi- 
tuted for  the  articles  embodied  in  the  convention  of  1881.  The 
articles  of  the  convention  of  1881  w^ere  accepted  by  the  Volks- 
raad  of  the  Transvaal  State,  and  those  of  the  convention  of 
1884  by  the  Volksraad  of  the  South  African  Republic. 

'  '  Under  these  conditions,  therefore,  Her  Majesty  holds 
toward  the  South  African  Republic  the  relation  of  a  suzerain 
who  has  accorded  to  the  people  of  that  republic  self-govern- 


British  Misrepresentations  79 

ment  upon  certain  conditions,  and  it  would  be  incompatible  with 
that  position  to  submit  to  arbitration  the  construction  of  the 
conditions  on  which  she  accorded  self-government  to  the  re- 
public' 

"  In  its  famous  reply  of  April  i6th,  1898,  the  Government  of 
the  South  African  Republic  proved  irrefutably  that  the  pre- 
amble of  the  convention  of  1881  had  disappeared,  that  Lord 
Derby  had  himself  substituted  a  draft  convention  in  which  the 
preamble  of  1881  was  struck  out,  and  that  by  the  final  accept- 
ance of  that  proposal  the  suzerainty  had  for  good  ceased  to  ex- 
ist. Now  that  there  was  therefore  no  suzerain  relation,  for  this 
as  well  as  for  other  reasons,  between  the  two  countries,  and  the 
objection  to  arbitrate  over  mutual  differences  had  disappeared, 
the  South  African  Republic  repeated  its  request  to  the  British 
government  for  arbitration  on  mutual  differences. 

"  But  that  was,  of  course,  just  what  Mr.  Chamberlain  did 
not  want.  He  objected  to  arbitration  because  it  would  prob- 
ably lead  to  the  defeat  of  the  British  and  not  of  the  republican 
government ;  for,  as  we  have  already  shown,  the  suzerainty 
question  had  been  expressly  brought  forward  by  him  for  the 
purpose  of  being  used  as  a  '  constitutional  means  '  to  humble  the 
South  African  Republic.  In  his  answer  to  the  arguments  of 
tlie  South  African  Republic,  Mr.  Chamberlain  could  thus  only 
persist  in  his  assertion  of  suzerainty,  though  he  made  no  at- 
tempt to  refute  the  argument  concerning  Lord  Derby's  striking 
out  of  the  preamble  of  the  Pretoria  convention.  It  was  clearly 
his  opinion  that  Lord  Derby  had  sacrificed  this  suzerainty  by 
his  stupidity  and  thoughtlessness  in  1884,  even  as  Lord  Grey 
had  let  the  South  African  Republic  go  in  1852,  and  therefore 
it  was  now  necessary  for  him,  by  a  great  show  of  power  and 
immovable  determination,  like  Shepstone  in  1877,  to  attempt  to 


8o  John  Ball's  Crime 

bluff  the  republic  in  order  not  to  be  deprived  of  this  eminent 
'  constitutional  means.' 

"  His  assertion  in  this  despatch  that  both  the  suzerainty  of 
Her  Majesty  and  tlie  right  of  the  South  African  Republic  to 
self-government  depended  on  the  preamble  of  the  Pretoria 
convention,  and  that,  if  the  preamble  had  disappeared,  our  right 
to  self-government  had  likewise  disappeared,  was  clearly  also 
intended  to  bully  the  government  of  the  South  African  Repub- 
lic; but  in  other  respects,  it  was  quite  correct.  Therefore  the 
government  of  the  South  African  Republic  replied  that  they  no 
longer  claimed  the  right  to  self-government  under  that  pre- 
amble nor  by  the  convention  of  1884  (since  that  said  nothing 
about  self-government),  but  simply  by  their  right  as  a  sov- 
ereign international  state.  In  other  words,  according  to  their 
contention,  it  was  a  necessary  implication  of  the  convention  of 
1884  that  the  South  African  Republic  was  a  sovereign  state 
and  should  derive  its  right  from  that  source,  that  it  was  there- 
fore considered  unnecessary  to  say  anything  concerning  its 
rights  in  the  convention  of  1884.  In  that  answer,  which  is  not 
only  judicially  and  historically  correct,  but  is  moreover  based 
on  simple  common  sense,  our  High  Commissioner  was  clever 
enough  to  find  a  '  defiance  '  to  Her  Majesty's  government, 
though  even  in  that  answer  the  government  of  the  South 
African  RepubHc  submitted  to  the  London  convention,  as  they 
had  done  hundreds  of  times  before  this. 

"  This  is  the  whole  history  of  the  suzerainty  dispute  between 
the  two  governments.  The  South  African  Republic  had  asked 
for  arbitration  in  certain  disputes,  and  England,  with  Chamber- 
lain acting  as  spokesman,  refused  because  a  sovereign  power 
cannot  be  expected  to  settle  disputes  with  her  vassal  by  arbitra- 
tion, and  because,  according  to  the  new  principles  screwed  into 


British  Misrepresentations  8i 

international  law  at  Birmingham,  she  must  be  judge  in  her  own 
dispute  with  others.  The  position  occupied  by  the  South  Afri- 
can Repu1)hc  in  this  remarkable  correspondence  is  supported 
by  the  actions  of  Lord  Derby  at  the  time  of  the  negotiations 
concerning  the  conventions,  and  also  later  in  a  cablegram  in 
which  he  summarized  the  contents  of  this  convention  to  the 
High  Commissioner  for  the  information  of  the  two  republics, 
which  were  as  follows : 

"  '  High  Commissioner,  Cape  Town,  to  British  Resident,  Pre- 
toria : 

"  '  Twenty-eighth — Please  inform  Transvaal  government 
that  I  have  received  the  following  from  the  Secretary  of  State : 
Begins,  February  27th.  Convention  signed  to-day.  New 
South  Western  Boundary  as  proposed,  following  Trade  road. 
British  Protectorate  country  outside  Transvaal  established 
with  delegates'  consent.  They  promise  to  appoint  Border 
Commissioner  inside  Transvaal  co-operate  with  ours  outside, 
Mackenzie  British  Resident.  Debt  reduced  to  quarter  million. 
Same  complete  internal  independence  in  Transvaal  as  in  Or- 
ange Free  State.  Conduct  and  control  diplomatic  intercourse 
foreign  government  conceded.  Queen's  final  approval  trea- 
ties reserved.  Delegates  appear  well  satisfied  and  cordial  feel- 
ing between  two  governments.  You  may  make  the  above 
known.' 

"  This  contention  is  further  also  confirmed  by  the  positive 
declarations  of  Lord  Rosmead  and  the  Rev.  D.  P.  Faure,  that 
it  was  distinctly  understood  when  the  London  convention  was 
made  that  suzerainty  had  disappeared,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
evidence  of  the  Transvaal  deputation. 

"  While  the  two  governments  were  engaged  with  this  ques- 


82  John  Bull's  Crime 

tion,  the  capitalists  of  course  were  also  busy  keeping  their  fire 
burning.  Rhodesia  was  not  only  an  unexpected  failure,  but 
was  in  short  richer  in  Kaffir  wars  than  in  paying  mines.  The 
capitalistic  groups  which  had  the  greatest  interest  in  the  Wit- 
watersrand  were  also  most  interested  in  Rhodesia,  and  it  very 
naturally  seemed  advisable  to  them  that  their  Transvaal  mines 
should  be  responsible  for  the  obligations  of  their  undertak- 
ings in  Rhodesia — a  settlement  which  could,  however,  only 
be  carried  out  by  a  political  fusion  of  the  two  countries. 

"  To  accomplish  this  object  a  constant  agitation  had  to  be 
kept  up  in  Johannesburg,  so  that  the  English  shareholders  liv- 
ing at  a  distance  might  be  prepared  for  the  day  on  which  the 
annexation  of  the  Transvaal  by  '  constitutional  means  '  was  to 
take  place. 

''  The  argument  that  was  calculated  to  find  easy  credence 
among  these  European  shareholders  was  that  on  account  of  the 
maladministration  of  the  South  African  Republic  a  state  of 
affairs  existed  on  the  gold  fields  which  was  very  detrimental 
to  the  financial  interests  of  the  mining  industry;  in  other 
words,  considered  from  this  point  of  view,  the  so-called  '  Uit- 
lander  grievances '  were  an  inexhaustibly  rich  and  paying 
mine. 

"  This  agitation  emanated,  at  first,,  directly  from  the  capi- 
talists and  became  in  the  course  of  1897  so  serious  that  the 
government  resolved  to  appoint  a  commission  of  officials  and 
mining  magnates  in  order  to  institute  a  searching  investiga- 
tion into  the  alleged  financial  grievances.  As  regards  the  gov- 
ernment, the  principal  findings  of  the  commission  were  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  First,  that  the  price  of  dynamite  (85  shillings  per  case  of 
50  pounds)  under  the  existing  concession  was  too  high  and  that 


British  Misrepresentations  83 

a  reduction  was  desirable,  either  by  means  of  cancelling  the 
concession  or  by  testing  the  validity  thereof  in  a  court  of  law. 

"  Second,  that  the  tariffs  of  the  Netherlands  South  African 
Railway  Company  for  the  conveyance  of  coal  and  other  arti- 
cles were  too  high,  and  that  it  was  also  desirable  to  expropriate 
the  company. 

"  Third,  that  the  customs  dues  on  necessaries  of  life  were 
too  high  and  that  in  consequence  the  workingman's  expense  of 
living  at  Johannesburg  was  too  high. 

"  Fourth,  that  strict  measures  ought  to  be  adopted  to  pre- 
vent the  theft  of  gold,  and  that  the  law  on  total  prohibition  of 
sale  of  liquor  to  native  laborers  had  to  be  applied  much  more 
stringently,  and  that  it  was  also  necessary  to  apply  the  pasa 
law  (whereby  native  labor  is  controlled)  more  carefully. 

"  Fifth,  with  a  view  to  carrying  out  the  recommendations  irr 
four  the  commission  suggested  that  an  advisory  board  be 
appointed  for  the  Witwatersrand,  to  advise  the  government 
with  regard  to  the  application  of  the  laws  in  question. 

"  In  how  far  have  these  recommendations  been  carried  out? 

"  First,  as  regards  dynamite  it  appeared  that  the  existing 
concession  could  not  with  any  measure  of  success  be  challenged 
in  a  court  of  law,  and  neither  government  nor  Volksraad  was 
willing  to  cancel,  without  consent  of  the  contracting  partv,  a 
contract  solemnly  entered  into  and  under  which  enormous  sums 
of  money  had  been  spent.  The  mining  industry,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  worked  heart  and  soul  for  the  cancellation,  even  with- 
out adequate  compensation,  but  the  public  did  not  yet  know, 
what  has  leaked  out  within  the  last  few  months,  that  the 
De  Beers  Corporation  had  itself  formed  the  intention  of  erect- 
ing dynamite  factories  in  South  Africa,  and  that  the  agitation 
of  the  capitalists  on  this  point  was  simply  intended  to  obtain 


84  ]^^^  Bull's  Crime 

for  themselves  the  control  of  this  important  source  of  income. 
Of  Mr.  Chamberlain's  interest  in  the  we'.l  known  ammunition 
and  explosive  firm  of  Kynoch,  the  public  are  very  well  aware, 
although  one  hesitates  to  assume  that  the  South  African  pol- 
icy of  the  Secretary  of  State  for  Colonies  is  influenced  by  con- 
siderations of  a  private  financial  nature. 

"  Both  government  and  Legislature  of  the  South  African 
Republic  have  adopted  the  wiser  course  of  lessening  the  price  of 
dynamite  to  such  an  extent  that  it  is  at  present  about  equal  to 
European  market  price  increased  by  a  protective  tariff  of 
twenty  shillings  per  case. 

"  Here  it  may  be  noted  that  Mr.  Chamberlain,  knowing  how 
unpopular  the  dynamite  concession  is  in  the  South  African 
Republic,  has  not  hesitated  to  inform  the  government  of  the 
republic  in  a  menacing  tone  that  the  concession  is  in  conflict 
with  the  London  convention. 

"  The  answer  of  this  government  was  so  crushing  that  this 
circumstance,  in  addition  to  the  fact,  which  only  became  known 
later,  that  some  of  the  most  important  English  and  European 
jurists  had  given  it  as  their  opinion  that  the  concession  was 
in  no  way  in  conflict  with  the  convention,  has  prevented  Mr. 
Chamberlain  from  returning  to  the  subject.  I  mention  this 
matter  to  show  how  everv  trifle  is  resorted  to  in  order  to  dis- 
cover a  ground  for  humiliating  the  South  African  Republic. 

"  Second,  as  regards  the  Netherlands  South  African  Rail- 
way Company,  the  capitalists  seem  to  have  changed  their  opin- 
ion since  the  time  of  the  industrial  concession,  and  now  think 
that  the  administration  of  the  company  is  as  reasonable  as  can 
be  expected,  and  that  expropriation  has  thus  become  unneces- 
sary. Perhaps,  too,  they  think  that,  from  their  point  of  view, 
it  would  be  better  that  they  themselves  should  buy  the  shares, 


British  Misrepresentations  85 

and  that  tluis  the  minino^  iiKhistrv  instead  of  the  government 
should  become  masters  of  that  source  of  income. 

"  As  regards  the  raih\ay  tariffs  these  have  been  so  far  low- 
ered in  accordance  with  the  recommendation  of  the  Industrial 
Commission  that  no  complaints  are  any  longer  made,  and  there- 
fore we  come  to  the  conclusion  that  all  cause  for  complaints 
has  disappeared. 

"  The  lowering  of  these  rates  in  addition  to  the  removal  of 
customs  duties  from  almost  all  necessaries  of  life  has  brought 
about  a  change  of  about  seven  hundred  thousand  pounds  in  the 
state  revenues  of  the  last  year,  an  enormous  sum  compared  with 
the  total  of  the  state  revenues  in  the  South  African  Republic. 

"  This  is  a  proof  of  how  eager  the  government  of  the  South 
African  Republic  is  to  remove  grievances  as  soon  as  they  are 
clearly  OMivinced  that  they  really  exist. 

"  Third,  as  regards  the  administration  of  the  liquor  law, 
pass  law  and  gold  theft  law,  neither  the  government  nor  the 
Legislature  has  felt  at  liberty  to  recommend  the  formation  of 
an  advisory  board  on  the  Witwatersrand.  They  have  pene- 
trated deeper  to  the  root  of  the  evil,  and  have  made  such 
changes  in  the  administration  of  the  laws  that  no  signs  of  dis- 
satisfaction are  any  longer  apparent.  On  the  contrary,  we  no 
longer  hear  of  gold  thefts,  and  the  representatives  of  the  min- 
ing industry  have  repeatedly  expressed  their  satisfaction  with 
the  "administration  of  the  pass  law,  and  more  especially  the 
liquor  law. 

"  In  this  liquor  law  we  have  a  proof  of  a  good  administra- 
tion. The  nature  of  the  liquor  law  is  such  that  it  is  one  of 
the  most  difficult  laws  that  a  government  can  ever  be  called 
upon  to  carry  out.  and  the  measure  of  success  attained  by  this 
government  and  its  officials  has  proved  irrefutably  that  the 


86  John  Bull's  Crime 

accusations  of  incompetent  administration  so  often  brought 
against  the  government  of  the  South  African  Repubhc  are 
devoid  of  all  truth,  and  are  only  intended  to  calumniate  and 
injure  it.  Thus,  for  instance,  a  combined  meeting  of  the 
Chamber  of  Mines,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  Aline 
Managers'  Association,  the  three  most  powerful  and  most  rep- 
resentative bodies  on  the  Witwatersrand  gold  fields,  passed  the 
following  two  resolutions  on  August  17th  last,  which  were: 

"  First,  '  This  combined  meeting,  representing  the  Chamber 
of  Mines,  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  Aline  Alanagers' 
Association,  again  records  its  decided  approval  of  the  liquor  law 
as  it  now  stands,  and  is  of  opinion  that  prohibition  is  not  only 
salutary  for  the  natives  in  their  own  interests,  but  absolutely 
essential  to  the  mining  industry  for  the  conservation  of  its 
labor.' 

''  Second,  '  This  meeting  hereby  places  on  record  its  appre- 
ciation of  the  efforts  to  put  down  the  illicit  liquor  traffic,  which 
has  been  made  by  the  detective  department  of  this  state  since 
that  department  was  placed  under  the  control  of  the  State  Attor- 
ney, and  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  success  which  has  thus  far 
attended  those  efforts  amply  disproves  the  contention  that  the 
liquor  law  is  unworkable.' 

"  The  first  motion  was  carried  by  an  overwhelming  major- 
ity, and  the  second  unanimously. 

"  Compare  this  declaration  of  the  representatives  of  the  rhin- 
ing  and  commercial  interests  of  the  Witwatersrand  with  the 
assertion  repeated  by  Mr.  Chamberlain  in  his  great  grievances- 
despatch  of  May  15th  last :  '  Stringent  application  of  the  liquor 
law  has  not  yet  taken  place  and  the  law  is  simply  evaded  and 
liquor  sold  to  the  natives  on  the  mines  in  unlimited  quantities.' 

''  When  Mr.  Chamberlain  wrote  these  words  they  were  abso- 


W^k-  .^'^'^ 


British  Misrepresentations  87 

lutely  untrue,  but  almost  all  of  his  grievances  are  of  this  imag- 
inary stamp. 

"  The  result  has  thus  fully  shown  that  the  government  was 
correct  in  its  opinion  that  it  was  better  to  change  the  adminis- 
tration of  laws  about  wliich  complaints  were  made  than  to 
introduce  a  principle  of  which  no  one  was  able  to  predict  the 
consequences  and  final  results. 

"  The  agitation  in  connection  with  the  report  of  the  Indus- 
trial Commission  was  followed  by  a  great  calm.  If  it  were  not 
that  tlie  Swazieland  trouble  gave  cause  for  suspicion,  we 
might  readily  have  thought  that  there  was  no  cloud  on  the  hori- 
zon. The  two  governments  were  seemingly  on  very  good  and 
friendlv  terms,  and  some  of  us  had  already  begun  to  think  that 
the  period  of  brotherly  co-operatioii  between  the  two  white 
races  in  South  Africa  had  finally  dawned,  and  that  the  cursed 
Raid  and  all  its  consecjuences  of  race  hatred  and  discord  were 
at  an  end.  Certain  circumstances,  however,  indicated  that  the 
calm  was  not  peace,  but  that  on  the  contrary  the  enemy  was 
engaged  in  making  a  final  attempt  to  bring  affairs  to  a  crisis. 

"  The  South  African  League,  a  political  organization,  which 
originated  in  the  race  hatred  to  which  the  Jameson  raid  had 
given  birth,  and  at  whose  head,  to  place  the  capitalistic  con- 
nection in  its  truest  light,  Mr.  Rhodes  himself  stands,  began 
to  agitate  against  the  government  in  an  unheard  of  manner 
toward  the  end  of  last  year.  The  Executive  Committee  for 
Johannesburg  was  such  that  at  first  no  notice  was  taken  of  his 
movement.  The  chairman  was  a  prizefighter,  the  secretary  a 
former  socialistic  demagogue  from  London,  etc..  etc.  It  soon 
became  evident,  however,  that  the  movement  was  not  alone 
aided  by  the  capitalists  and  strongly  supported  by  the  mines, 
but  was  also  in  a  mysterious  way  connected  with  London  and 


88  John  Bull's  Crime 

Cape  Town,  a  connection  which  the  events  of  the  last  months 
have  made  still  clearer.  Meetings  were  called,  petitions  full 
of  grievances  drawn  up  and  sent  to  Her  Majesty,  and  propa- 
ganda made  in  the  press,  which  all  went  to  prove  that  a  well 
organized  campaign  was  set  on  foot  against  the  republic. 

*'  As  the  government  of  the  South  African  Republic  has,  in 
an  official  despatch,  set  forth  the  tendency  of  the  agitation  and 
the  connection  of  the  British  government  therewith,  I  wish  to 
repeat  their  weighty  words  : 

"  '  But  this  government  wishes  to  go  further.  Even  as  re- 
gards those  Uitlanders  who  are  British  subjects,  they  are  a 
small  minority  who,  under  the  pretext  of  imaginary  grievances, 
have  continued  secret  propaganda  of  race  hatred  and  used  this 
republic  as  a  basis  to  set  on  foot  a  revolutionary  movement 
against  this  government.  Concerning  this  minority,  ministers 
of  Her  Majesty  have  so  forcibly  set  forth  the  true  state  of  the 
case  that  this  government,  whose  only  object  is  to  set  things 
in  their  true  light  before  Her  Majesty's  government  and  the 
world,  and  not  to  make  groundless  accusations,  here  wishes  to 
repeat  the  words  of  these  ministers — ministers  of  the  Cape  Col- 
ony, well  acquainted  with  local  circumstances  and  capable  of 
judging : 

"  '  "  In  the  opinion  of  ministers,  the  persistent  action,  both 
beyond  and  within  this  colony,  of  the  political  body  styling 
itself  the  South  African  League,  in  endeavoring  to  foment  and 
excite  not  to  soothe  and  allay,  ill  will  between  the  two  prin- 
cipal European  races  inhabiting  South  Africa,  is  well  illus- 
trated by  these  resolutions,  the  exaggerated  and  aggravated 
terms  of  which  disclose  the  spirit  which  informs  and  inspires 
them. 

"  '  "  His  Excellencv's  ministers  are  one  in  their  earnest  desire 


British  Misrepresentations  89 

to  do  all  in  their  power  to  aid  and  further  a  poHcy  of  peaceful 
progress  throughout  South  Africa,  and  they  cannot  but  regard 
it  as  an  unwise  propaganda,  hostile  to  the  true  interests  of  the 
empire,  including  this  colony  as  an  integral  part,  that  every 
possible  occasion  should  be  seized  by  the  League  and  its  pro- 
moters for  an  attempt  to  magnify  into  great  events  minor  inci- 
dents, when  occurring  in  the  South  African  Republic,  with  a 
prospect  thereby  of  making  racial  antagonism  more  acute,  or 
of  rendering  less  smooth  the  relations  between  Her  Majesty's 
government  or  the  government  of  this  colony  and  that  repub- 
lic." 

"  '  The  cause  of  race  hatred  is  not  so  strong  in  South  Africa, 
however,  that  a  body  with  this  propaganda,  striving  toward  a 
revolutionary  goal,  would  be  able  to  exert  great  influence  in  this 
sub-continent;  and  it  is  constantly  being  asked  why  a  body  so 
insignificant  in  itself  and  its  principles  and  as  regards  its  mem- 
bers can  yet  enjoy  such  a  measure  of  success.  The  answer  is 
that  this  body  relies  on  the  protection  and  support  of  Her 
Majesty's  government  in  England  and  that  both  its  members 
and  its  press  organs  openly  boast  of  the  influence  which  it  exerts 
over  the  policy  of  Her  Majesty's  government.  This  govern- 
ment would  pay  no  attention  to  such  assertions,  but  when  they 
see  that  the  ideas  of  this  body  are  constantly  echoed  in  the 
addresses  of  members  of  Her  ^Majesty's  go\'ernment,  when  they 
see  that  bluebooks  are  compiled  comprising  to  a  great  extent 
memoranda  composed  by  members  of  the  South  African 
League,  and  the  false  articles  and  reports  of  the  press  organs 
of  this  body,  which  thereby  acquire  an  official  character,  then 
this  government  can  easily  understand  why  so  many  of  Her 
Majesty's  right-minded  subjects  in  this  sub-continent  come 
under  the  wrong  impression  that  the  policy  followed  by  the 


90  Jotin  Bull's  Crime 

South  African  League  is  approved  by  Her  Majesty's  govern- 
ment and  is  thus  destined  for  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  the 
British  Empire  in  general. 

"  '  If  this  wrong  impression  can  be  removed  and  the  fact 
become  known  that  the  South  African  League  as  far  as  the 
South  African  Republic  is  concerned,  is  an  organization  whose 
object  is  to  cause  bad  blood  and  revolt  and  to  undermine  the 
independence  of  the  country,  then  this  body  will  soon  lose  its 
influence  and  the  strained  relations  at  present  existing  between 
the  two  governments  will  soon  disappear.  Then,  too,  the  Afri- 
kander republics  and  the  Afrikander  population  of  this  sub- 
continent will  no  longer  fear  that  the  interests  of  the  British 
Empire  necessarily  mean  the  downfall  of  those  republics  and 
the  extermination  or  enslavement  of  that  population ;  then,  too, 
both  parts  of  the  white  race  in  South  Africa  will  return  to  that 
brotherly  co-operation  and  fusion  which  had  at  least  begun 
before  the  treacherous  conspiracy  at  the  end  of  1895  again 
roused  the  passions  on  both  sides.' 

"  As  a  result  of  the  continual  agitation  of  the  South  African 
League  three  events  took  place  in  Johannesburg  which  Air. 
Chamberlain  considered  the  climax  of  the  Uitlander  grievances. 
The  three  events  were :  The  so-called  '  Lombard  case  '  in  con- 
nection with  the  alleged  ill-treatment  of  colored  British  subjects 
in  Johannesburg,  the  so-called  '  Edgar  case  '  in  connection  with 
the  shooting  of  a  British  subject  by  a  policeman,  and  the 
so-called  '  Amphitheatre  Case  '  in  connection  with  a  riotous 
meeting  of  the  South  African  League. 

"  As  regards  the  Lombard  case.  Air.  Chamberlain  says : 

"  '  As  an  instance  of  such  arliitrary  action,  the  recent  mal- 
treatment of  colored  British  subjects  by  Field  Cornet  Lombard 
may  be  cited.     This  official  entered  the  houses  of  various  col- 


British  Misrepresentations  91 

ored  persons,  without  a  warrant,  at  night,  dragged  them  from 
their  beds,  and  arrested  them  for  being  without  a  pass.  The 
persons  so  arrested  were  treated  with  much  cruelty,  and  it  is 
even  alleged  that  one  woman  was  prematurely  confined,  and  a 
child  subsequently  died  from  the  consequences  of  the  exposure. 

"  '  Men  were  beaten  and  kicked  by  the  orders  of  the  Field 
Cornet,  who  appears  to  have  exercised  his  authority  with  the 
most  cowardly  brutality.  The  government  of  the  republic, 
being  pressed  to  take  action,  suspended  the  Field  Cornet,  and 
an  inquiry  was  held,  at  which  he  and  the  police  denied  most  of 
the  allegations  of  violence,  but  the  other  facts  were  not  dis- 
puted, and  no  independent  evidence  was  called  for  the  defense. 
The  government  have  since  reinstated  Lombard.  Unfortu- 
nately this  case  is  by  no  means  unparalleled.  Other  British 
subjects,  including  several  from  St.  Helena  and  jMauritius, 
have  been  arbitrarily  arrested,  and  some  of  them  have  been 
fined,  without  having  been  heard  in  their  own  defense,  under  a 
law  which  does  not  e\'en  profess  to  have  any  application  to  per- 
sons from  those  colonies.  However  long-suffering  Her  j\Iaj- 
esty's  government  may  1)e  in  their  anxious  desire  to  remain  on 
friendly  terms  with  the  South  African  Republic,  it  must  be  evi- 
dent that  a  continuance  of  incidents  of  this  kind  followed  bv  no 
redress  may  well  become  intolerable.' 

"  The  answer  of  the  Government  of  the  South  African  Re- 
public to  the  accusations  on  this  point  was  as  follows : 

"  '  As  regards  the  Lombard  case,  this  government  wishes  to 
point  out  that  for  a  full  month  after  the  alleged  ill-treatment 
of  Cape  colored  persons  had  taken  place  no  complaint  was 
made  to  any  one  in  authority  in  this  republic,  and  that  neither 
the  government  nor  the  public  was  acquainted  with  what  had 
taken  place.     The  whole  affair  was  so  insignificant  that  some 


92  John  Bull's  Crime 

of  the  persons  alleged  to  have  been  ill-treated  afterwards 
declared  on  oath  before  the  Court  of  Inquiry  that  they  would 
never  of  their  own  accord  have  laid  any  complaints.  But  what 
happened  ?  About  a  month  after  the  events  the  so-called  South 
African  League  chanced  to  hear  of  them ;  they  sent  some  of 
their  officials  out  to  collect  the  evidence  of  the  persons  alleged  to 
have  been  ill-treated,  and  with  the  assistance  of  Her  Majesty's 
Vice  Consul  at  Johannesburg,  who  always  co-operated  with 
the  League  in  a  striking  manner,  some  sworn  declarations  were 
taken  down.  Even  then  no  complaints  against  the  officials  con- 
cerned were  made  to  the  lawful  powers  of  the  country,  but  the 
case  was  handed  over  to  the  acting  British  agent  at  Pretoria. 
When  the  attention  of  this  government  was  called  to  the  alle- 
gations, they  immediately  appointed  a  commission  of  inquiry, 
consisting  of  three  gentlemen — Landdrost  Van  den  Berg,  of 
Johannesburg;  Mr.  Andries  Stockenstrom,  barrister-at-law  of 
the  Middle  Temple,  head  of  the  criminal  department  of  the 
State's  Attorney's  office,  and  Mr.  Van  der  Merwe,  mine  com- 
missioner at  Johannesburg — gentlemen  against  whose  ability 
and  impartiality  no  trace  of  suspicion  had  ever  existed 
among  the  Uitlander  population  of  this  republic,  and  with 
whose  appointment  the  acting  British  agent  also  expressed  him- 
self perfectly  satisfied.  These  officials  were  charged  to  exam- 
ine the  whole  case  thoroughly  and  to  report  the  results  of  their 
investigations  to  the  government,  and  they  fulfilled  tlieir  man- 
date by  listening  to  and  carefully  considering  the  evidence  of 
both  sides  for  several  days.  Every  right-minded  person  will 
readily  acknowledge  that  infinitely  more  weight  should  attach 
to  the  findings  of  this  commission  than  to  the  declarations  of  the 
complaining  parties,  who  contradicted  themselves  on  almost  all 
particulars  and  well  nigh  turned  that  whole  inquiry  into  a  com- 


British  Misrepresentations  93 

ecly.  Of  the  so-called  facts  of  ill-treatment  nothing  was  left  over 
in  this  report;  the  special  cases  of  alleged  ill-treatment  were  evi- 
dently imaginary.  It  was  clearly  proved  and  felt  that  the  com- 
plainants had  acted  contrary  to  the  law,  and  the  commission 
only  disapproved  of  the  arrests  and  investigations  having  taken 
place  at  night  and  without  a  warrant.  This  government  re- 
grets very  deeply  to  see  that  Her  Majesty's  government  bases 
its  accusations  on  the  ex  parte,  groundless,  and  in  many  respects 
false,  declarations  of  complainants  urged  on  by  political  hatred, 
and  takes  no  notice  of  the  report  of  the  commission.' 

"  The  Edgar  case  is  thus  represented  by  Air.  Chamberlain : 
But  perhaps  the  most  striking  recent  instance  of  arbitrary 
action  by  officials,  and  of  the  support  of  such  action  by  the 
courts,  is  the  well  known  Edgar  case.  The  effect  of  the  verdict 
of  the  jury,  warmly  endorsed  by  the  judge,  is  that  four  police- 
men'breaking  into  a  man's  house  at  night  without  a  warrant,  on 
the  mere  statement  of  one  person,  which  subsequently  turned 
out  to  be  untrue,  that  the  man  had  committed  a  crime,  are  justi- 
fied in  killing  him  there  and  then  because,  according  to  their 
own  account,  he  hits  one  of  them  with  a  stick.  If  this  is  a 
justification,  then  almost  any  form  of  resistance  to  the  police 
is  justification  for  the  immediate  killing  of  the  person  resisting, 
who  may  be  perfectly  innocent  of  any  offense.  This  would  be 
an  alarming  doctrine  anywhere.  It  is  peculiarly  alarming 
w  hen  applied  to  a  city  like  Johannesburg,  where  a  strong  force 
of  police  armed  with  revolvers  have  to  deal  with  a  large  alien 
unarmed  population,  whose  language  in  many  cases  they  do  not 
understand.  The  emphatic  affirmation  of  such  a  doctrine  by 
judge  and  jury  in  the  Edgar  case  cannot  but  increase  the  gen- 
eral feeling  of  insecurity  amongst  the  Uitlander  population  and 
the  sense  of  injustice  under  which   they   labor.     It  may   be 


94  John  Bull's  Crime 

pointed  out  that  the  allegation  that  Edgar  assaulted  the  police 
was  emphatically  denied  by  his  wife  and  others  and  that  the 
trial  was  conducted  in  a  way  that  would  be  considered  quite 
irregular  in  this  country,  the  witnesses  for  the  defense  being 
called  by  the  prosecution  and  thereby  escaping  cross-examina- 
tion.' 

"  The  reply  of  the  government  of  the  South  African  Repub- 
lic was : 

"  '  The  Edgar  case  is  then  mentioned  by  your  government 
'  as  the  most  striking  recent  instance  of  arbitrary  action  by  offi- 
cials and  of  the  support  of  such  action  by  the  courts."  That  inci- 
dent is  used  as  a  conclusive  test  of  the  alleged  legal  maladminis- 
tration of  this  republic  and  it  is  thus  important  that  we  should 
pause  a  moment  to  consider  it.  What  are  the  true  facts?  A 
certain  Foster,  an  Englishman,  was,  without  any  lawful  cause, 
attacked  and  knocked  down  by  a  certain  Edgar,  on  the  night  of 
December  i8th,  1898,  so  that  he  was  picked  up  for  dead  and 
finally  died  in  the  hospital.  Edgar  then  escaped  into  his  room, 
and  in  answer  to  the  cries  of  bystanders,  some  policemen  came 
hurrying  upon  the  scene.  Policeman  Jones,  among  others,  saw 
the  person  attacked  lying  like  a  dead  man,  and  then  went  to 
Edgar's  room  to  arrest  him  as  a  criminal,  for  he  had  indeed 
committed  manslaughter  and  apparently  murder.  As  he  had 
been  caught  red-handed,  the  policemen  were  justified  according 
to  the  laws,  not  alone  of  this  republic,  but  of  the  whole  of  South 
Africa  and  of  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Ire- 
land, to  enter  the  house  by  force  in  order  to  arrest  the  crim- 
inal. On  their  breaking  into  the  room,  Edgar  gave  Jones  a 
tremendous  blow  with  a  formidable  weapon,  and  in  self-defense 
the  latter  fired  at  Edgar,  in  consequence  of  which  he  was  killed. 
The  question  is  not  whether  Jones  was  justified  in  taking  this 


British  Misrepresentations  95 

extreme  step ;  the  State  Attorney  of  this  republic  by  prosecuting 
him  for  manslaughter  has  ah^eacly  shown  that  in  his  opinion 
this  case  was  one  for  the  jury  to  decide.  The  question  is  only 
whether  any  jury  in  any  country  in  the  world  would  find  a  per- 
son guilty  of  any  crime  under  circumstances  such  as  these,  and 
whether,  if  they  did  not  find  him  guilty,  it  would  be  stigmatized 
as  a  flagrant  and  striking  case  of  maladministration  of  justice. 
This  government  feels  convinced  that  the  English  administra- 
tion of  justice  is  also  full  of  cases  of  which  the  facts  are  as 
strong  as  the  facts  of  this  case,  and  cannot  understand  why  an 
incident  which  might  occur  in  any  country  in  the  world  should 
specially  be  used  as  an  accusation  against  them. 

"  '  This  government  does  not  wish  to  consider  the  blame  cast 
by  Her  Majesty's  government  on  the  state  prosecutor  at  Johan- 
nesburg, by  whom  the  prosecution  of  this  case  was  conducted. 
The  fact  that  he  is  of  pure  English  descent,  that  he  received 
his  legal  education  in  London,  that  he  is  universally  respected 
by  the  Uitlander  population  on  account  of  his  ability,  his  impar- 
tiality and  his  character,  will  of  course  not  counterbalance,  m 
the  opinion  of  Her  Majesty's  government,  his  monstrous  behav- 
ior in  the  calling  up  of  witnesses  for  the  prosecution  who  had 
been  destined  for  the  defense,  and  the  consequent  frustration  of 
an  imaginary  cross-examination.  This  government  only  wishes 
to  point  out  that  the  fact  that  the  Edgar  incident  is  the  strong- 
est that  Her  Majesty's  government  has  been  able  to  bring 
against  the  administration  of  justice  in  this  republic  is  the 
strongest  and  most  striking  proof  possible  that,  taken  as  a 
whole,  the  administration  of  justice  on  the  gold  fields  of  this 
republic  compares  most  favorably  with  that  of  other  similar 
gold  fields  even  of  old  and  long  established  countries.  The 
untrue  representations  made  in  the  press  concerning  this  inci- 


96  John  Bull's  Crime 

dent  prove  sufficiently  that  the  newspapers  of  the  Witwaters- 
rand,  whose  propaganda  forms  part  of  the  organized  campaign 
against  this  republic  and  its  government,  are  obhged  to  exer- 
cise their  false  criticism  on  imaginary  cases  of  maladministra- 
tion which  are  often  altogether  unfounded.  When  the  press 
must  resort  to  such  means,  the  real  grievances  must  be  insig- 
nificant.' 

"  Concerning  the  so-called  Amphitheatre  case,  Mr.  Chamber- 
lain says : 

"  '  Some  light  upon  the  extent  to  which  the  police  can  be 
trusted  to  perform  their  delicate  duties  with  fairness  and  dis- 
cretion is  thrown  by  the  events  referred  to  by  the  petitioners, 
which  took  place  at  a  meeting  called  by  British  subjects  for  the 
purpose  of  discussing  their  grievances,  and  held  on  January 
14th  in  the  Amphitheatre  of  Johannesburg.  The  government 
were  previously  apprised  of  the  objects  of  the  meeting  and  their 
assent  obtained,  though  this  was  not  legally  necessary  for  a 
meeting  in  an  inclosed  place.  The  organizers  of  the  meeting 
state  that  they  were  informed  by  the  State  Secretary  and  the 
State  Attorney  that  any  one  who  committed  acts  of  violence  or 
used  seditious  language  would  be  held  responsible,  and  in  proof 
of  the  peaceful  objects  of  the  meeting,  those  who  attended  went 
entirely  unarmed,  by  which  it  is  understood  that  they  did  not 
even  carry  sticks.  So  little  was  any  disturbance  apprehended 
that  ladies  were  invited  to  attend  and  did  attend.  Yet  in  the 
result,  sworn  affidavits  from  many  witnesses  of  different  nation- 
alities agree  in  the  statement  that  the  meeting  was  broken  up 
almost  immediately  after  its  opening,  and  many  of  the  persons 
attending  it  were  violently  assaulted  by  organized  bands  of  hos- 
tile demonstrators  acting  under  the  instigation  and  guidance 
of  persons  in  government  employ,  without  any  attempt  at  inter- 


Jf^ 


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British  Misrepresentations  97 

ference  on  the  part  of  the  pohce,  and  even  in  some  cases  with 
their  assistance  or  loudl}'  expressed  sympathy.  The  govern- 
ment of  the  South  African  RepubHc  has  been  asked  to  institute 
an  inquiry  into  these  disgraceful  proceedings,  but  the  recpiest 
has  been  met  with  a  flat  refusal.' 

"  To  this  accusation  the  following  reply  was  made : 
"  '  The  Amphitheatre  case  is  used  by  Her  Majesty's  govern- 
ment to  pr(n-e  how  inca])al3le  the  police  on  the  W^itwatersrand 
are  to  fulfil  their  duties  and  maintain  order.  The  League  meet- 
ing was  held  in  the  so-called  Amphitheatre  in  Johannesburg 
with  the  knowledge  of  the  State  Secretary  and  State  Attorney 
and  the  accusation  now  is  that  in  spite  of  that  fact  the  tumult 
that  took  place  at  the  meeting  was  not  put  down  by  the 
police. 

"  *  The  true  facts  of  the  case  are  these :  Mr.  Weyburgh  and 
another,  both  in  the  pay  of  the  South  African  League,  informed 
the  State  Secretary  and  State  Attorney  that  they  intended  call- 
ing this  meeting  in  the  Amphitheatre,  and  they  asked  permission 
to  do  this.  They  were  told  that  it  was  not  necessary  to  receive 
the  permission  of  the  authorities,  and  that  as  long  as  the  meet- 
ing did  not  cause  disorder  and  disturbance  of  the  peace  they 
would  be  acting  completely  within  their  rights.  Their  atten- 
tion was  then  directed  to  the  fact  that,  on  account  of  the  behav- 
ior and  propaganda  of  the  South  African  League,  this  body  was 
very  unpopular  among  a  considerable  section  of  the  population 
of  Johannesburg,  and  that  in  all  probability  a  disturbance  would 
take  place  unless  there  was  a  sufficient  number  of  the  police 
present  to  maintain  order.  To  this  the  gentlemen  replied  that 
since  the  Edgar  incident  the  police  were  in  bad  repute,  that  the 
meeting  would  be  very  orderly  and  that  the  presence  of  police 
would  contribute  or  gi\-e  rise  to  disorder  and  that  on  these 


98  John  Bull's  Crime 

grounds  they  would  rather  not  have  any  poHce.  The  State  Sec- 
retary and  State  Attorney  thereupon  communicated  with  the 
chief  of  poHce  in  Johannesburg,  witli  the  resuU  that  he  also  was 
of  the  opinion  that  it  would  be  better  not  to  have  an  unusual 
number  of  police  at  the  meeting.  The  government,  acting  on 
the  advice  of  the  ofhcials  of  the  League  as  well  as  their  own 
police  officials,  gave  instructions  that  the  police  should  keep 
away  from  the  meeting;  they  did  this  in  good  faith  and  with  the 
object  of  letting  the  League  have  its  say  unhindered. 

"  '  The  proposed  meeting  was,  however,  advertised  far  and 
wide,  and  as  the  feeling  among  a  certain  section  of  the  Wit- 
watersrand  population  was  very  bitter  against  the  League,  a 
considerable  number  of  its  opponents  was  also  present.  The 
few  policemen  present  were  powerless  to  sto])  the  disorderly 
proceedings,  and  when  the  police  came  upon  the  scene  a  few 
minutes  after  the  commencement  of  the  uproar  the  meeting  had 
broken  up. 

"  '  Taken  by  itself  this  incident  would  not  be  of  much  con- 
sequence, for  it  is  an  isolated  case  as  regards  the  gold  fields  of 
this  republic,  and  even  in  the  best  organized  and  controlled 
societv,  disorders  like  this  sometimes  take  place.  What  makes 
the  case  serious,  however,  is  the  unjust  accusation  of  Her 
Majesty's  government  that  the  meeting  was  broken  up  by  offi- 
cials of  this  republic  and  that  this  government  flatly  refused  to 
inquire  into  the  matter. 

"  '  This  government  would  not  have  refused  to  institute  an 
inquiry  if  any  complaints  had  been  laid  with  them  or  with  the 
local  courts,  and  they  said  so  in  reply  to  Her  Majesty's  request 
for  an  inquiry.  This  government  objects  to  the  systematic 
habit  of  ignoring  the  local  authorities  and  constantly  complain- 
ing to  Her  Majesty's  representatives  about  matters  which  ought 


British  Misrepresentations  99 

to  be  decided  by  the  courts  of  this  repubhc.  Instead,  however, 
of  complaining-  to  Her  ^Majesty's  government  only  when  all 
other  reasonable  means  of  redress  have  been  tried  in  vain,  Her 
]\Iajesty's  subjects  are  in  the  habit  of  ignoring  and  disregarding 
the  local  courts  and  authorities  and  of  bringing  forward  all 
trivial  and  ex  parte  complaints  in  the  first  instance  before  Her 
Majesty's  representatives,  and  thus  also  Her  Majesty's  gov- 
ernment is  constantly  placed  in  the  ambiguous  and  unenviable 
position  of  interfering  in  the  internal  affairs  of  this  republic  in 
conflict  with  the  London  convention.  If  a  complaint  had  been 
laid  with  this  governmeni  or  the  competent  officials  or  courts, 
then  the  facts  of  the  case  could  ver}^  easily  have  been  inves- 
tigated, and  then,  too.  it  would  have  been  proved  that  a  few 
officials  who  were  present  at  the  meeting  as  part  of  the  public 
had  done  their  best  to  stop  the  disorderly  proceedings  and  that 
some  of  them  were  even  wounded  in  their  attempts  to  main- 
tain peace. 

"  '  Instead  of  showing  their  disapproval  of  such  complaints  and 
directing  the  complainants  to  the  local  courts,  Her  Majesty's 
government  receives  the  complaints  and  then  imparts  an  official 
character  to  them  by  sending  them  on  to  this  government 
for  notice,  and  publishing  them  in  due  course  in  bluebooks  for 
the  information  of  the  world.  Her  Majesty's  government  will 
readily  admit  that  no  state  in  the  world,  no  matter  how  weak 
and  small,  that  possesses  any  sense  of  honor  can  look  on  such 
tilings  calmly,  and  if  the  relations  between  the  two  govern- 
ments have  become  strained,  then  the  true  cause  is  to  be  found 
in  the  actions  of  Her  Majesty's  subjects  which  are  not  cen- 
sured by  Her  jNIajesty's  government,  and  not  in  imaginary  and 
trivial  grievances.' 

"  Is  there  the  least  semblance  of  right  and  justice  in  assert- 


loo  John  Bull's  Crime 

ing  that  those  grievances  form  a  cause  for  intervention?  What 
crimes  have  been  perpetrated  against  humanit}'  or  the  law 
of  nations?  Are  the  grievances  and  abuses  brought  up  not 
equalled  by  events  which  take  place  almost  daily  in  the  most 
highly  civilized  countries  in  the  world?  We  can  with  reason 
apply  to  the  case  in  question  the  words  with  which  the  Rus- 
sian government  stamped  the  unlawful  intervention  of  the  Brit- 
ish government  in  the  internal  affairs  of  Naples : 

''  '  We  could  understand  that  as  a  consequence  of  friendly 
forethought  one  government  should  give  advice  to  another  in 
a  benevolent  spirit,  that  such  advice  might  even  assume  the 
character  of  exhortation;  but  we  believe  that  to  be  the  farthest 
limit  allowable.  Less  than  ever  can  it  now  be  allowed  in 
Europe  to  forget  that  it  is  not  the  extent  of  territory,  but  the 
sacred  character  of  rights  of  each  state,  which  regulates  the 
relations  that  exist  between  them.  To  endeavor  to  obtain  from 
the  government  of  the  South  African  Republic  concessions 
as  concern  the  internal  government  of  the  republic  by  threats, 
or  by  a  menacing  demonstration,  is  a  violent  usurpation  of 
its  authority,  an  attempt  to  go\'ern  in  its  stead ;  it  is  an  open 
declaration  of  the  right  of  the  strong  over  the  weak.' 

*'  Notwithstanding  all  her  hypocritical  accusations  the  Brit- 
ish government  is  very  well  acquainted  with  the  fact  that  the 
administration  of  the  South  African  Republic  is  on  a  sound 
basis,  in  spite  of  the  almost  unequalled  difficulties  with  which 
the  government  and  legislature  have  had  to  contend,  and  will 
stand  comparison  with  that  of  other  countries  under  similar  cir- 
cumstances; that  the  grievances  bv  which,  in  the  shape  of  blue- 
books,  the  humane  feeling  of  the  British  public  is  worked  upon 
are  to  a  great  extent  imaginary,  and  even  if  they  were  per- 
fectly true,  they  yet  offer  no  ground  for  interference  in  the 


British  Misrepresentations  loi 

internal  affairs  of  the  rej^ublic.  It  has  thus  become  necessary 
to  find  some  other  '  constitutional  means.' 

"  The  third  and  last  '  constitutional  means '  which  Yir. 
Chamberlain  used  as  a  pretext  for  interfering  forcibly  in  the 
internal  affairs  of  the  South  African  Republic  was  the  claim 
for  ecjual  political  rights  for  all  inhabitants  of  the  South  Afri- 
can Republic.  In  demanding  this  he  also  followed  the  inspira- 
tion of  ]\Ir.  Rhodes.  For  after  the  Jameson  raid  Mr.  Rhodes 
had  laid  down,  as  a  new  programme  for  the  progressive  policy 
of  South  Africa  the  formula :  Equal  rights  for  all  white  men 
south  of  the  Zambesi.  But  with  a  view  to  the  colored  vote  of 
the  Cape  Colony.  Air.  Rhodes  afterwards  changed  that  cry 
to :  Equal  rights  for  all  civilized  men  south  of  the  Zambesi. 
And  in  due  time  the  echo  came  from  Downing  Street : 
Equal  political  rights  for  all  persons  in  the  South  African 
Republic. 

"  As  a  political  aspiration  that  ma}-  be  as  desirable  or  unde- 
sirable in  South  Africa  as  in  England,  where  Mr.  Chamberlain 
is  now  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  party  which  has  always  been 
opposed  to  all  '  manhood  suffrage.' 

"  Mr.  Chamberlain  does  not.  however,  confine  himself  to  giv- 
ing friendly  advice,  but  demands  the  franchise  for  all  Uitland- 
ers.  The  South  African  Republic  has  already  a  franchise  law 
by  which  every  person  who  has  already  been,  or  shall  vet  be, 
seven  years  in  this  repuljlic  is  entitled  to  the  full  franchise.  On 
what  grounds  does  he  base  his  claim  ? 

"  He  appealed  to  the  discussions  which  preceded  the  conven- 
tion of  1881.  In  the  discussions,  however,  mention  is  onlv 
made  of  civil  rights,  with  regard  to  which  all  possible  equalitv 
has  always  existed  since  the  Sand  River  convention.  For  the 
maintenance  of  the  equality  of  these  civil  "rights   as  distin- 


I02  John  Bull's  Crime 

giiished  from  political  rights.  Article  XII.  of  the  Pretoria 
convention  stipulates : 

"  *  All  such  persons  (loyal  to  Her  Majesty)  will  have  full 
liberty  to  reside  in  the  country  with  enjoyment  of  all  civil 
rights  and  protection  for  their  persons  and  property.' 

"  In  1882  the  franchise  was  altered  from  one  year's  to  five 
years'  residence,  without  any  protest  from  Her  Majesty's  gov- 
ernment. And  in  1884  in  the  new  convention  of  that  year  it 
was  stipulated  in  the  most  emphatic  and  unequivocal  manner: 

"  '  Article  XIV. — That  all  persons,  other  than  natives,  con- 
forming themselves  to  the  laws  of  the  South  African  Republic 
v/ill  have  full  libertv  with  their  families  to  enter,  travel  or  reside 
in  any  part  of  the  South  African  Republic ;  they  will  be  entitled 
to  hire  or  possess  houses,  manufactories,  warehouses,  shops  and 
premises ;  they  may  carry  on  their  commerce  either  in  person 
or  by  any  agents  whom  they  may  think  fit  to  employ ;  they  will 
not  be  subject,  in  respect  of  their  person  or  property,  or  in 
respect  of  their  commerce  or  industry,  to  any  taxes,  whether 
general  or  local,  other  than  those  which  are  or  maj^  be  imposed 
upon  citizens  of  the  said  republic' 

"  Here,  therefore,  certain  rights  were  guaranteed  specifically 
to  all  white  inhabitants — the  rights  of  moving  about  as  they 
wished,  of  possessing  movable  and  fixed  property,  of  trading 
and  of  equal  taxation  with  the  burghers.  There  is  no  ques- 
tion here  of  political  rights  and  there  was  no  question  of  those 
rights  before  this  year  1899.  The  government  of  the  South 
African  Republic  would  thus  be  acting  altogether  within  the 
limits  of  the  convention  if  they  informed  Mr.  Chamberlain 
that  questions  with  regard  to  the  franchise  fell  solely  within 
their  competence,  it  being  a  purely  internal  matter,  and  more- 


British  Misrepresentations  103 

over  that  by  claiming  the  rights  under  this  convention  to  force 
a  franchise  law  upon  the  government,  Mr.  Chamberlain  is  the 
party  guilty  of  breaking  the  convention. 

"  The  government  of  the  South  African  Republic  have,  how- 
ever, taken  up  a  much  more  exalted  position.  The  President 
himself  went  to  Bloemfontein  to  discuss  even  mternal  matters 
in  a  friendly  .spirit  with  the  High  Commissioner  and  among 
other  things  also  the  franchise,  as  his  only  desire  was  to  main- 
tain and  promote  the  peace  of  South  Africa  and  the  welfare  of 
its  inhabitants.  Sir  Alfred  Milner  had  there  said  that  '  if  that 
question  could  be  settled  on  a  satisfactory  and  permanent  basis 
the  tension  would  be  lessened  and  everything  w-ould  come 
right  in  time.  Lately  he  has  done  his  best  to  prove  that  he 
never  said  or  meant  such  a  thing,  that  the  franchise  law  was 
only  one  of  the  burning  internal  questions  in  which  Her  Maj- 
esty's government  was  so  deeply  interested  and  that  the  favora- 
ble solution  of  the  franchise  difficulty  by  no  means  carried  with 
it  the  agreement  of  the  parties  concerning  the  other  points  of 
difference.  The  attitude  of  Sir  Alfred  Milner  on  this  and 
other  points  is  of  such  a  nature,  however,  that  I  would  rather 
say  nothing  more  about  his  conduct,  but  leave  him  to  the  judg- 
ment of  public  opinion  and  history. 

"  As  no  agreement  was  possible  between  the  parties  President 
Kruger  left  Bloemfontein  and  improved  the  franchise  law  to 
such  an  extent  that  the  Orange  Free  State,  the  Afrikanders  of 
the  Cape  Colony  and  even  Mr.  Schreiner,  premier  of  the  Cape 
Colony,  openly  expressed  their  satisfaction  with  the  improve- 
ments made. 

"  Mr.  Chamberlain,  however,  now  began  to  write  to  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  South  African  Republic  in  a  menacing  tone  and 


104  John  Bull's  Crime 

no  longer  in  the  friendly  tone  he  had  formerly  used,  and  he 
finally  proposed  that  a  joint  commission  should  inquire  into  the 
question  and  see  whether  the  new  law  was  satisfactory. 

"  In  the  meantime  informal  conversations  between  the  State 
Attorney  of  the  South  African  Republic  and  the  British  agent 
had  given  rise  to  the  prospect  of  a  speedy  and  a  satisfactory 
solution  of  the  matter.     Thereupon  the  British  government  was 
sounded  by  the  British  agent  and  said  that,  if  the  franchise  was 
Ijrought  to  five  years  without  any  complicated  conditions,  and 
if  the  gold  fields  could  elect  one-fourth  of  the  members  of  the 
Volksraad,  it  was  prepared  to  consider  on  their  merits  the  con- 
ditions attached,  namely,  that  the  claim  to  the  suzerainty  should 
be  dropped,  that  no  future  intervention  would  take  place  and 
that  differences  would  l)e  settled  by  arbitration.     \\'hen  this 
proposal  was  formally  made,  however,  the  British  government 
refused  to  accept  the  condition  with  regard  to  the  dropping  of 
the    suzerainty    claim,    though    the    High    Commissioner   had 
already  in  a  formal  despatch  declared  that  the  suzerainty  ques- 
tion appeared  to  him  to  be  an  etymological  and  not  a  political 
question.     Soon  afterwards  the  British  government  came  for- 
ward with  the  same  proposal,  but  with  the  omission  of  the  con- 
dition concerning  the  dropping  of  the  suzerainty  claim.     As 
the  government  of  the  South  African  Republic  considered  this 
condition  of  the  greatest  importance  for  the  maintenance  of  its 
international  status,  it  refused  to  accept  the  proposal  in  this 
form.     It,  however,  accepted  the  invitation  to  the  joint  inquiry, 
but  the  British  government  replied  that  it  was  too  late  and  that 
it  now  withdrew  its  invitation. 

"  Here  we  thus  see  in  its  clearest  light : 
"  First,  that,  though  the  High  Commissioner  had  said  that 
the  suzerainty  was  only  of  etymological  importance,  and  though 


British  Misrepresentations  105 

the  British  government  has  never  been  able  to  refute  the  argu- 
ments of  the  South  African  Repul^hc  concerning  the  dropping 
of  the  suzerainty  in  1884,  the  British  government  is  neverthe- 
less unwilHng  to  sacrifice  its  present  claim  thereto  and  is  ready 
on  that  ground  to  begin  a  war  in  South  Africa. 

"  Second,  that  the  British  government  invites  the  South  Afri- 
can Republic  to  a  joint  inquiry,  and  when  that  invitation  has 
been  accepted  without  it  having  been  withdrawn,  that  accept- 
ance is  declined  with  every  mark  of  contempt. 

"  Is  there  any  example  in  the  history  of  civilized  diplomacy 
of  such  base  deceit  and  hypocritical  trifling  with  the  most  im- 
portant interests  of  South  Africa  ? 

"  And  is  it  to  be  w^ondered  at  that  South  Africa  has  lost  faith 
in  British  statesmanship? 

"  Truly,  of  all  the  disgraceful  acts  which  have  sullied  the 
British  name  in  this  sub-continent  I  know  none  baser  and  more 
contemptible  than  this. 

"  And  the  consec|uences  of  this  deceit  will  be  written  with 
the  blood  and  the  tears  of  thousands  of  innocent  persons. 

'*  I  have  now  gone  over  the  facts  marking  our  oppression  and 
persecution  during  this  century.  The  statements  made  by  me 
are  not  imaginary,  but  are  taken  from  the  mouth  of  the  most 
credible  historical  witnesses,  almost  all  of  British  nationality; 
they  are  facts  which  have  been  declared  to  be  indisputable 
before  the  bar  of  history.  As  regards  the  more  recent  events 
since  1898,  I  have  been  personally  acquainted  with  all  the  nego- 
tiations and  differences  hereinbefore  set  forth,  and  can  onlv 
affirm  that  I  have  confined  myself  to  the  facts,  which  will  here- 
after appear  even  more  clearly  when  the  curtain  is  raised,  and 
the  occurrences  of  the  last  two  years  in  this  deeply  agitated  sub- 
continent are  revealed. 


io6  John  Bull's  Crime 

"  Hitherto  our  people  have  remained  silent;  the  enemy  has 
spat  upon,  slandered,  beaten  and  treated  us  with  every  possi- 
ble power  of  contempt  and  hatred.  But  with  a  dignity  which 
reminds  the  world  of  a  yet  more  tragic  and  exalted  passion,  our 
people  have  borne  in  silence  the  insults  and  contempt  of  the 
enemy,  and  under  the  sense  of  duty  which  inspired  them  have 
thought  it  better  to  remove  the  errors  and  abuses  which  had 
crept  into  our  administration  in  moments  of  less  thoughtfulness 
and  care.  Even  this  was  accounted  to  us  as  weakness  and  fear. 
On  hundreds  of  platforms  in  Great  Britain,  and  by  the  most 
influential  statesmen,  our  people  have  been  called  incompetent, 
uncivilized,  dishonorable,  faithless,  corrupt,  bloodthirsty, 
treacherous,  etc.,  etc.,  until  not  only  the  British  public,  but 
almost  the  whole  world,  has  begun  to  believe  that  we  stand  on 
a  level  with  the  wild  beast.  Amid  all  this  insult  and  con- 
tumely we  have  remained  silent.  From  formal  bluebooks  of  Her 
jNIajesty's  government,  from  despatches  of  Her  Majesty's  High 
Commissioner  in  South  Africa,  we  have  had  to  learn  that  our 
unprincipled  system  of  government  and  our  unjust,  chaotic  and 
immoral  administration  have  been  a  constantly  festering  sore 
by  which,  as  by  a  contaminating  pestilence,  the  moral  and  polit- 
ical atmosphere  of  South  Africa  has  been  poisoned.  In  num- 
berless newspapers  we  have  been  accused  of  every  crime  against 
civilization  and  humanity,  and  offenses  are  imputed  to  us  the 
mere  mention  of  which  causes  one's  hair  to  stand  on  end.  If 
the  reading  public  believed  only  a  hundredth  part  of  all  the 
atrocities  of  which  our  people  and  government  are  accused, 
then  it  must  necessarilv  have  been  forced  to  the  conclusion  that 
this  republic  was  a  den  of  robbers  and  murderers,  a  people 
whose  mere  existence  was  a  blot  on  humanity  and  a  nuisance  to 
mankind.     To  such  a  depth,  according  to  these  accounts,  had 


British  Misrepresentations  107 

the  descendants  of  the  moral  aristocracy  of  Europe  sunk !  Of 
the  enormous  sums  which  we  are  said  to  spend  out  of  the  secret 
service  funds  to  secure  for  ourselves  the  support  of  the  public 
opinion  of  the  world,  there  was  hardly  any  practical  effect  or 
trace:  but  the  contumely  rag'ed  on  like  an  all  devouring  hurri- 
cane. But  our  people  remained  silent,  partly  from  stolidity, 
partly  from  a  feeling  of  hopeless  helplessness,  partly  because  we 
as  a  simple  agricultural  people  read  no  new^spapers  and  were, 
therefore,  not  acquainted  with  the  way  in  which  the  feeling  of 
the  whole  world  was  being  worked  up  against  us  with  malicious 
fury.  The  practical  effect  was  that  our  case  went  by  default 
before  the  bar  of  public  opinion. 

"  Naboth's  title  deed  to  his  vineyard  had  to  be  destroyed, 
and  according  to  the  hypocritical  British  diplomacy  the  short- 
est way  to  that  end  was  to  prove  that  he  w^as  a  criminal  and 
Ahab  an  angel." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Legions  of  troops  to  "  chastise  a  paltry  30.000  men  and  youths  untrained 
in  the  murderous  art  of  modern  militarism."  England  would  be  in 
better  business  endeavoring  to  administer  more  just  government  to 
her  own  people  than  in  trying  to  reform  other  governments.  Depends 
upon  the  charity  of  other  nations  to  feed  her  starving  millions,  and 
her  working  class  is  ground  down  by  blunted  opportunities  and  des- 
potic aristocracy. 

SUCH,  in  brief,  is  the  whole  story  of  the  trouble  in  South 
Africa  between  the  Briton  and  the  Boer — a  story  of 
suffering,  injustice  and  wrong  without  a  parallel  in  the 
world's  history.  A  careful  perusal  of  all  the  books  written 
about  South  Africa,  and  of  all  the  records  extant,  will  bear  out 
Secretary  Reitz  in  all  of  his  statements,  and  will  furnish 
unquestionable  proof  of  his  principal  assertions.  The  fraud 
and  avarice  and  cruelty  of  the  British  forces  of  capitalism  are 
responsible  for  it.  Doubtless  many  of  the  people  of  Great  Bri- 
tain lament  this  condition  of  affairs  and  have  no  sympathy  with 
their  government  in  its  outrageous  conduct,  in  its  resorting  to 
the  forces  of  robbery  and  spoliation  against  a  small  band  of 
liberty-loving  patriots,  consisting  mainly  of  farmers,  whose 
only  crime  is  that  they  love  freedom,  and  settled,  unfortunately 
for  themselves,  in  two  little  republics  whose  laps  were  filled 
with  gold  and  diamonds. 

To  crush  these  people  and  their  republics  is  a  crime,  and  it 
will  eventually  bring  the  punishment  upon  the  British  nation 
which  such   sins  inevitably  entail.     When  the  British  nation 

108 


British  Government  Incompetent  109 

realizes,  as  it  surely  will,  how  the  inhuman  partnership  of 
Chamberlain.  Rhodes  and  plutocrat  journals  has  drenched  the 
African  veldt  in  the  blood  of  gallant  British  soldiers  and  brave 
Boers,  when  they  learn  how  Britain's  sons  were  left  unJDuried 
ui)on  the  battlefields  of  South  .Vfrica  as  food  for  vultures  and 
wild  beasts,  when  they  further  realize  the  awful  expense,  already 
estimated  at  $900,000,000,  to  say  nothing  of  the  large  number 
of  li\-es  lost,  of  the  awful  sorrow  and  suffering  in  many  a  British 
home,  they  will  then  realize  how  foolish  their  government  has 
been  and  how  unnecessary  it  was  to  wage  war  against  a  small 
handful  of  brave  defenders  of  the  two  little  republics.  "  Thrice 
is  he  armed  that  hath  his  quarrel  just,"  says  England's  poet,  and 
stripped  of  all  extraneous  arguments  introduced  by  special 
pleaders,  the  broad  issue  of  the  differences  referred  to  the  arbit- 
rament of  force  is  that  British  politicians,  never  having  seen 
Africa,  much  less  the  Transvaal,  wish  to  govern  that  country, 
while  the  men  born  in  it,  whose  only  home  and  grave  it  can  be, 
proclaim  their  birthright  inalienable.  That  determination  would 
have  evoked  the  praise  of  England  had  the  now  united  republics 
been  Switzerland  or  Servia,  Italy  or  Greece. 

Thus  is  a  great  nation  humbled  in  its  own  self-respect  and 
sees  itself  isolated  from  the  sympathy  of  the  world;  for  round 
the  globe  has  echoed  the  wrong  done  in  the  name  of  justice 
and  civilization.  England's  hereditary  foes  in  Europe  jeer  at 
fifth  and  sixth  and  seventh  and  eighth  army  divisions  being 
called  out  to  chastise  a  paltry  thirty  thousand  men  and  youths, 
untrained  in  the  luurderiuis  art  of  modern  militarism. 

It  is  a  crime  against  civilization,  a  crime  against  humanity,  a 
crime  against  the  peaceable  progress  of  the  human  race. 

During  the  past  hundred  years,  many  great  British  states- 
men,   in   reviewing  the   insane  action   of   George   III.    which 


no  Johri  Bull's  Crime 

brought  about  the  severance  of  America  from  the  British  Em- 
pire, have  themselves  frequently  avowed  that  never  again 
would  England  make  the  mistake  of  endeavoring  to  force  sub- 
jection upon  an  unwilling  people.  And,  notwithstanding  these 
assertions  made  by  England's  greatest  men,  it  remains  now  for 
scheming  men  to  lead  the  British  nation  into  the  great  mistake 
of  violating  the  pledges  heretofore  made  by  their  greatest  states- 
men ;  and  departing  from  the  lofty  ideals  and  the  noble  princi- 
ples whicli  the  nation  loved  and  followed  and  cherished  during 
the  days  of  the  immortal  Gladstone,  they  have  thus  permitted 
the  spirit  of  liberty  and  justice  to  be  stifled  and  prostituted  to 
the  commission  of  crimes  unheard  of  heretofore  in  the  annals 
of  nations.  And  when  they  sent  their  sons  to  kneel  side  by 
side  in  the  trenches,  or  shoulder  to  shoulder  to  march  in  solid 
phalanx  up  the  hillsides  and  through  the  valleys  to  certain 
death,  they  were  not  simply  committing  a  crime  against  the 
brave  and  chivalrous  Boer  alone,  but,  by  command  of  their 
government,  under  the  superior  power  that  ordered  Ihem  on, 
they  committed  a  crime  against  mankind  and  outraged  freedom 
throughout  the  world. 

If  the  aristocracy  that  rule  England  and  hold  the  destiny 
and  fate  of  that  empire  in  their  selfish  clutches,  and  who  boast 
of  their  civilization  and  humanity,  and  w^ho  pretend  to  be  the 
greatest  civilizers  in  the  world  would  devote  a  little  more  of 
their  time  and  attention  to  the  welfare  and  happiness  of  the 
unfortunate  and  suffering  subjects  of  the  British  Empire  instead 
of  wasting  so  much  time  and  so  much  treasure  in  their  efifort  to 
destroy  the  two  South  African  republics — in  other  words,  if 
these  selfsame  haughty,  blood-stained  aristocracy  were  to  take 
some  of  their  millions  of  gold  that  is  being  spent  now  to  crush 
liberty  and  destroy  republics  in  South  Africa,  and  carry  bread 


British  Government  Incompetent  1 1  i 

to  the  starving  millions  of  their  own  subjects  in  India,  instead 
of  depending  upon  the  benevolence  and  charity  of  other  coun- 
tries— I  should  think  they  would  be  doing  a  much  greater  work 
for  civilization  and  humanity.  Moreover,  this  English  aris- 
tocracy must  take  some  steps  soon  toward  alleviating  the  suf- 
fering of  the  millions  of  working  people  of  England,  whose 
lives  are  filled  with  gloom  and  despair  and  hardship,  and  are 
being  crushed  to  death  under  the  iron  heel  of  British  despotism, 
who  are  in  reality  slaves  to  the  wealthy  aristocracy,  who  are 
but  as  dogs  licking  up  the  crumbs  that  fall  from  the  rich  man's 
table — helpless,  sad-hearted,  illiterate,  living  in  the  dark  vale  of 
wretchedness  and  squalor,  while  the  different  grades  of  society 
above  them  are  filled  with  the  noxious  fumes  of  tyranny  and 
oppression,  while  on  the  hill  tops  they  see  this  selfsame  aris- 
tocracy, their  hard  taskmasters,  fat  and  sleek,  with  faces 
wreathed  in  happy  smiles,  as  adown  the  mountain  side  into  the 
shadov\-y  vale  they  look  and  laugh  at  their  misery  and  hopeless- 
ness. Instead  of  destroying  the  liberties  of  patriots  in  distant 
climes,  it  would  be  well  for  themselves  and  their  posterity  to 
take  heed  of  this.  Indeed,  there  is  no  spectacle  in  all  the  world 
so  appalling  as  that  which  strikes  the  stranger  when  for  the  first 
time  he  walks  the  streets  of  London,  especially  in  the  famous 
East  End.  and  there  looks  upon  the  millions  of  working  people 
on  the  verge  of  starvation,  and  yet  in  the  midst  of  plenty,  eating 
roots  and  herbs,  as  it  were,  in  the  unproductive  vale  of  misery 
and  wretchedness,  while  just  across  the  way  are  the  fields  smil- 
ing with  plenty — but  within  the  guarded  walls  of  the  selfish, 
greedy,  avaricious  English  aristocracy.  These  millions  toil  and 
weep,  and  weep  and  toil,  watching  and  waiting  for  the  dawn  of 
a  brighter  day,  looking  for  an  opportunity  to  go  to  a  freeman's 
land  across  the  sea  to  build  homes  for  themselves  and  little  ones. 


112  John  Bull's  Crime 

But,  alas,  that  is  impossible  on  their  meagre  wages;  hence  with 
hearts  sad,  with  eyes  bedimmed  with  tears,  they  plod  on  and  on 
with  seemingly  the  workhouse  for  their  goal. 

Capital  among  the  aristocracy  grows  stronger  and  stronger, 
vice  and  luxury  are  rampant  upon  every  hand,  notwithstanding 
these  sufferers  at  their  very  doors  are  eating  crusts  moistened 
with  their  own  tears;  but  yet  they  have  not  time  to  care  for 
these,  but  can  waste  untold  millions  of  their  treasure  to  crush 
liberty,  to  destroy  republics,  and  tluis  cast  a  shadow  over  Eng- 
land's history  and  make  the  name  of  English  aristocracy  a 
stench  in  the  nostrils  of  God-fearing,   liberty-loving,  justice- 
seeking  people  everywhere.      England  is  a  country  dying  at  the 
top.     Her  public  halls  once  rang  with  the  cheers  of  patriotic 
Britons,  as  they  welcomed  home  the  chivalrous  knights  of  old, 
but  they  are  now  filled  with  the  noise  of  drunkenness  and  rev- 
elry.    \\diere  justice  sat  enthroned  and  wielded  her  majestic 
sceptre,  now  vice  like  a  hideous  monster  grins  and  laughs  at 
tears  and  sorrow.    Her  archives  are  being  filled  with  faded  ban- 
ners once  the  proud  symbol  of  the  fame  and  renown  of  rising- 
republics  and  with  the  skulls  and  bones  of  countless  thousands 
of  men  and  women  and  even  children  who  died  for  liberty  and 
equality.     The  land  that  was  once  the  pride  of  the  poet  who 
filled  the  world  with  his  songs  of  chivalry  is  now  the  home  of 
the  millionaire,  whose  heartless  chuckle  rings  throughout  the 
kingdom,  as  he  weighs  his  hoarded  gold  and  clips  his  coupons. 


GENERAL  SXYMAN. 


GENERAL  BOTHA. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Zulus  and  Zululand.  Topography,  ecenery,  vegetation  and  animals.  Zulu 
manner  of  speech  and  idiomatic  peculiarities.  Names  symbolical  of 
characteristics  given  toall  strangers.  Zulu  natui'e ;  strange  customs  of 
tribes:  their  superstitions  and  religion;  their  morality,  amiability  and 
kindheartedness. 

AMONG  the  people  whom  I  met  in  South  Africa  none  was 
more  interesting  than  Rev.  R.  Shemeld  and  his  estima- 
ble wife,  Americans  who  had  been  laboring  for  many 
years  as  missionaries  among  the  Zulus.  They  were  very  intelli- 
gent people  and  aided  me  greatly  in  obtaining  information  con- 
cerning the  customs  of  the  Zulus  during  my  visit  with  them. 
These  missionaries,  after  many  years  of  experience  with  the 
Zulus  and  the  Boers,  were  ardent  friends  of  both.  Notwith- 
standing the  charge  frequently  made  that  the  Boers  are  intol- 
erable and  will  not  permit  the  people  of  the  republic  to  attend 
any  church  but  their  church,  that  is.  the  Dutch  Reformed  church, 
I  found  churches  of  many  other  denominations  even  in  Pre- 
toria, the  capital,  and  I  think  the  most  enthusiastic  svmpathizers 
with  the  Boers  outside  of  their  own  people  that  I  met  in  South 
Africa  were  the  Rev.  Mr.  Shemeld  and  the  Rev.  Air.  Lloyd, 
pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Johannesburg — • 
the  largest  congregation,  by  the  way,  in  the  republic — himself 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  a  Catholic  priest  who  was  in 
charge  of  a  flourishing  Catholic  church  in  Pretoria.  Tliese 
Americans  were  all  ready  to  fight  on  the  side  of  the  Boers,  and 
were  very  bitter  in  their  denunciation  of  the  British  govern- 

113 


114  J^^^  Bull's  Crime 

ment.  and  pronounced  the  war  waged  l^y  that  government 
against  the  Boers  as  a  most  outrageous  and  unholy  war. 

Rev.  Mr.  Shemeld  and  his  wife  were  very  popular  among  the 
Zulus.  They  had  spent  so  many  years  preaching  and  teaching 
among  them  that  in  consequence  they  were  greatly  beloved  by 
the  men,  women  and  children  of  Zululand.    ' 

The  home  of  the  Zulus,  known  as  Zululand,  lies  just  north 
of  Natal  and  adjacent  to  the  South  African  Republic.  It  is  an 
undulating  country  covered  with  mimosa  bush,  in  some  parts 
ver}'  densely,  alternating  with  wild  and  fantastically  broken 
scenerv  and  thickly  wooded  precipices  and  ravines.  There  are 
many  grass  clad  hills  and  several  large  forests  in  the  country. 
While  the  mineral  resources  are  yet  undeveloped,  there  are 
manv  indications  of  mineral  in  various  parts  of  the  country. 
Gold  in  small  cjuantities  has  already  been  found  there.  The 
rivers  are  rapid  streams  of  small  volume  running  over  rocky 
beds.     The  climate  is  exceedingly  healthful. 

Among  the  various  tribes  of  natives  in  Africa  the  Zulus  are 
decidedly  the  best.  They  are  superior  physically,  intellectually 
and  morally  to  all  the  rest  of  the  natives.  They  cultivate 
their  ground  very  superficially,  planting  maize,  various  kinds 
of  gourds,  and  also  a  peculiar  grain  from  which  they  make  their 
beer.  Many  herds  of  fat  cattle  are  seen  grazing  in  Zululand, 
and  flocks  of  sheep  and  Angora  goats  of  the  most  beautiful 
variety  are  found  upon  every  hand.  The  milk  of  the  sheep 
and  goats  is  used  by  the  natives,  and  they  seem  to  thrive  and 
grow  fat  on  it.  Some  horses  are  owned  by  them,  and  as  a  rule 
they  belong  to  the  chiefs.  Much  game  is  found  there,  such  as 
antelopes  and  boks  and  a  peculiar  animal  called  the  koodoo. 
Hippopotami  are  quite  numerous  in  rome  of  the  rivers,  but 
crocodiles  and  alligators  are  seldom  found.     There  are  a  few 


Zulus  and  Zululand  115 

lions,  and  now  and  then  a  leopard  is  seen.  Apes  and  monkeys 
are  very  numerous.  Travelers  are  often  amazed  by  these  crea- 
tures, who  in  large  numbers  stand  on  the  sides  and  tops  of  the 
hills  and  throw  sticks  and  rocks  at  the  passerby,  all  the  while 
filling  the  air  with  their  most  humanlike  chatter. 

\\'ild  flowers  and  fruits  of  every  variety  abound  in  great 
profusion. 

Zulu  is  one  of  the  most  commonly  spoken  languages  in 
South  Africa,  and  is  said  to  be  very  beautiful.  One  peculiarity 
about  it  is  that  all  w'ords  end  in  a  vowel,  but  the  most  marked 
feature  of  the  language  is  its  so-called  alliterative  concord, 
which  has  been  compared  by  them  to  the  gender  concordance 
of  Aryan  and  the  progressive  vow-el  harmony  of  Ural-Altaic. 
Another  remarkable  feature  of  this  language  is  the  singular  de- 
■velopment  of  verbal  inflexion,  which  is  both  final  and  intitial. 

One  of  the  many  interesting  customs  of  the  Zulus  is  that  of 
giving  white  people  a  descriptive  name.  Some  travelers  have 
called  these  names  nicknames,  but  a  little  consideration  will 
show  that  the  Zulus  are  to  a  large  extent  compelled  by  force  of 
circumstances  to  give  to  white  people  a  name  which  is  descrip- 
tive of  some  trait  of  their  character  which  appears  prominent 
or  some  striking  habit  or  appearance,  so  that  in  speaking  of  a 
white  person  to  others  in  their  tribe  they  will  convey  somewhat 
of  an  idea  of  the  kind  of  person  he  or  she  may  be  or  appear  to 
be.  The  Zulus  base  their  opinion  of  white  people  from  what 
they  see  of  them,  and  are  usually  correct.  For  instance,  the 
name  of  a  white  person  such  as  Smith,  Jones  or  Brown  does 
not  indicate  an}^  trait  of  character  nor  describe  anything  in 
particular  to  the  kraal  Zulu ;  therefore  he  cannot  see  why  they 
have  them  and  looks  upon  them  as  unpractical  people.  They 
cannot  easily  pronounce  the  names  so  that  they  can  be  readily 


ii6  John  Bull's  Crime 

discerned,  and  as  their  friends  cannot  tell  from  the  name  Smith 
anything  of  Smith's  traits  it  is  necessary  that  Smith  receive 
a  new  name,  a  local  name,  a  descriptive  name.  Some  white 
settlers  have  insisted  that  their  Zuhi  servants  should  speak  of 
them  only  by  their  English  names,  and  many  a  time  the  settler 
who  threatened  to  whip  the  servant  who  gave  him  a  new  name 
has  exhibited  some  latent  propensity  of  his  nature  that  has 
secured  for  him  an  undesirable  name.  I  can  mention  an  in- 
stance. James  Smith  had  moved  into  Natal  with  a  herd  of 
cattle.  In  riding  upon  his  new-bought  farm  he  met  a  Zulu  man 
who  was  the  owner  of  a  large  herd  of  cattle  which  was  grazing 
on  the  farm.  Some  dispute  arose,  when  James  Smith,  who 
spoke  the  Cape  Colony  Kaffir  language  quite  fluently,  said,  "  I 
am  a  stranger  to  you,  but  I  am  one  who  divides  justly,  I  split 
down  the  center  of  the  marrow  in  the  spine,  and  will  cut  you  into- 
pieces  if  you  vex  me."  The  Zulu  raised  his  hand  in  salutation, 
and  on  reaching  home  told  his  people  that  "  Backsplitter  "  had 
bought  the  farm,  but  if  carefully  treated  would  be  just. 

The  descriptive  names  of  white  men  are  of  immense  benefit 
in  sending  messages  to  wliite  neighbors,  or  in  making  inquiries 
in  a  neighborhood,  as  the  Zulu  message  bearer  may  perhaps 
meet  some  one  whose  face  plainly  could  be  that  of  a  "  back- 
splitter,"  and  by  showing  him  the  letter  he  has  for  Mr.  James 
Smith  is  told  that  he  has  found  the  desired  person  and  can  nov/ 
return  home.  For  instance,  a  boy  is  called  to  go  fourteen  miles 
with  several  letters  in  the  hope  of  his  finding  the  persons  in  the 
ordinary  manner,  but  the  messenger  is  told  to  deliver  one  to 
"  Wet  Hen,"  another  to  "  Sun  Down,"  another  to  "  Jumping 
Plea,"  and  the  fourth  to  the  "  Bird  with  Heavy  Tail,"  etc.,  etc. 
The  boy  treads  on  singing  out  the  various  names  of  the  persons 
he  is  to  find,  and  as  he  is  approaching  the  village  he  takes  a 


ZULU  MOTHER  AND  CHILD. 


Zulus  and  Zululand  i  17 

pinch  of  snuff,  as  his  eyes  rove  over  an  open  space  near  a  black- 
smith shop  where  an  elderly  man  is  -standing.  For  a  few 
seconds  the  boy's  eyes  are  riveted  on  this  man,  who  now  starts 
walking  toward  the  village  market  square  with  a  peculiar  stiff 
gait,  head  thrown  back,  round  shouldered,  and  stooping  when 
walking,  which  causes  his  coat  tails  to  project.  To  a  Zulu  this 
man's  name  is  evidenced  in  his  walk,  and  with  a  twinkle  in  his 
eye  the  Zulu  boy  sings  aloud,  "  I  have  found  him.  It  is  he.  I 
need  ask  no  one.  It  is  the  '  Wet  Hen.'  Yes,  his  name  must 
be  Inkuku  i  Netile.  See  his  head.  Behold  his  walk."  And 
running  along,  he  politely  salutes  the  white  man  (inkosi),  and 
then  hands  him  the  letter  addressed  to  Air.  Brown.  Being 
sure  that  Mr.  Brown  is  the  rightful  owner,  he  goes  into  the  vil- 
lage and  finds  "  Sun  Down  "  (Jones)  scolding  his  boys,  telling 
them  they  must  finish  their  work  by  sundown.  He  is  speak- 
ing with  some  other  boys,  when  several  white  men  approach 
the  square  engaged  in  earnest  discussion.  Two  of  them  step  on 
stones  in  the  water  furrow  to  cross  it,  but  the  third  one  clears 
it  with  a  bound,  and  walks  with  an  elasticity  of  step,  which 
causes  the  Zulu  boy  to  exclaim,  "  Surely  that  must  be  the 
'  Jumping  Flea.'  "  He  is  not  mistaken.  It  is  Mr.  Smith,  who 
is  pleased  to  receive  the  letter.  Having  succeeded  thus  far,  he 
sits  down  with  some  friends  to  have  a  social  chat  and  some 
snuff  and  is  told  that  Mr.  Blank,  the  "  Bird  with  a  Heavy 
Tail,"  is  not  in  the  village  yet,  but  may  come.  A  little  later 
a  young  man  with  the  dignity  of  a  monarch  comes  striding 
dow^n  the  path  as  though  he  owned  half  of  the  universe  and 
would  not  object  to  the  remainder.  The  messenger  makes  an 
imposing  salutation  to  this  would-be  important  personage,  ad- 
dressing him  as  the  ''  Heart  of  the  Inner  Circle."  and,  with  the 
greatest  humiliation,  kindly  asking  him  to  whom  he  can  go  to 


ii8  John  Bull's  Crime 

find  the  gentleman  to  whom  the  letter  is  addressed,  and  is 
pleased  to  learn  he  is  speaking  to  Mr.  Blank.  This  raw  Zulu 
boy,  fresh  from  his  kraal,  has  experienced  no  difficulty  in  find- 
ing these  white  men,  simply  because  his  master  told  him  their 
local  names  and  he  recognized  the  correctness  of  the  descrip- 
tion. Some  persons  may  imagine  that  the  boy  could  remember 
Smith  and  Jones  and  inquire  for  them,  but  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  names  in  Zulu  have  the  letter  u  as  a  prefix  and  a 
vowel  at  the  close;  therefore,  in  inquiring  for  Mr.  Smith,  a 
Zulu  would  naturally  pronounce  it  U-Samiti,  and  would  get  lit- 
tle information — it  not  being  known  that  he  was  in  quest  of 
Mr.  Smith.  I  need  not  raise  any  argument  to  prove  the  utility 
of  this  custom  of  giving  descriptive  names.  Its  benefits  are  nu- 
merous, as  sometimes  a  messenger  is  sent  off  in  haste  a  long 
distance  to  bear  a  message,  say  to  a  missionary,  that  a  certain 
person  is  dangerously  ill.  The  sender  hands  the  message  to  a 
sw'ift-footed  boy,  giving  him  the  minister's  descriptive  name, 
with  all  particulars,  wdiile  he,  the  sender,  runs  home  to  be  of 
service  at  the  bedside.  As  the  boy  runs  over  the  country  he  sees 
a  horseman  riding  at  right  angles  from,  his  path  and  decides  to 
intercept  him.  After  the  usual  salutation,  the  boy  asks 
whether  the  white  man  met  six  black  goats  of  a  peculiar 
description,  and  he  words  his  inquiry  in  language  that  leads 
the  rider  to  consider  all  the  herds  he  has  met  that  day.  While 
considering  the  matter  he  has  changed  the  reins  to  his  right 
hand  and  grips  his  beard  in  his  left  hand  in  his  meditation. 
That  is  the  sign  the  Zulu  boy  wanted,  and  this  is  the  man  he 
v.-as  seeking  many  miles  further  on.  "  He  wdio  grips  his  beard 
and  looks  down  as  he  meditates.  Then  he  must  be  U-Sihetye, 
and  this  letter  is  for  him." 

Sometimes  these  names  are  acquired  in  childhood.    At  other 


Zulus  and  Zululand  119 

times  a  single  act  of  a  man  or  woman  secures  for  him  or  her  a 
name  which  clearly  portrays  for  either  a  prominent  trait  of 
character.  A  lady  once  told  her  native  servants  not  to  turn  the 
oxen  too  short  or  they  might  break  their  legs  in  the  chains, 
and  in  such  a  case  her  husband  might  ask  payment  for  damage 
done.  The  boys  immediately  set  a  name,  "  A  woman  who  is 
admitted  to  the  council  of  her  husband,  sees  the  end  from  the 
beginning  and  is  able  to  judge  and  inflict  a  penalty."  And 
from  that  day  the  boys  said  the  boss  was  never  absent  from 
that  home  and  none  could  shirk  duty,  for  had  he  not  left  his 
eyes  and  mouth  at  home  in  the  person  of  his  wife? 

It  is  almost  needless  to  add  that  these  descriptive  names  have 
led  people  to  be  careful  of  their  conduct  lest  they  should  re- 
cei\'e  names  which  they  could  not  with  pride  mention  when 
asked  by  friends  the  common  cjuestion,  "  What  is  your  Zulu 
name?  " 

The  customs  and  laws  of  the  Zulus  are  most  peculiar.  As 
soon  as  a  male  succeeds  in  accumulating  enough  money  from 
his  labors  to  purchase  a  certain  number  of  cattle  he  at  once 
visits  some  powerful  chief  at  his  kraal  and  bargains  for  the  pur- 
chase of  a  wife,  for  the  chief  has  power  to  sell  him  one,  and  af- 
ter the  man  is  married  the  wife  usually  is  supposed  to  work  hard 
for  him,  and  then  when  he  has  made  enough  money  to  buy  an- 
other wife  he  does  so,  and  thus  he  continues  to  purchase  wives 
as  his  fortune  increases  until  he  has  a  sufficient  number  of  wives 
to  support  him  and  his  large  family,  for  they  are  very  prolific. 
He  then  takes  his  ease  and  refuses  to  work,  for  the  wives  are 
supposed  to  do  all  the  work.  And  the  poor  creatures  seem 
to  be  perfectly  satisfied  to  do  so.  They  seldom  ever  display 
any  jealousy,  luit  seem  to  be  proud  of  a  powerful  man,  for  they 
think  the  more  numerous  his  wives  the  greater  the  man  must  be. 


I20  John  Bull's  Crime 

They  are  a  very  moral  race  of  people.  Indeed,  they  seem 
to  be  unsurpassed  in  this  respect.  If  an  unmarried  man  or 
woman  is  guilty  of  immoral  conduct  he  or  she  is  ordered  out 
of  the  kraal  by  the  chief  and  either  punished  or  put  to  death. 
If  a  married  man  or  woman  is  guilty  of  adultery  he  or  she  is 
invariably  put  to  death. 

The  personal  property  of  the  Zulu  consists  chiefly  of  cattle, 
and  the  laws  covering  the  same  are  very  complex.  The  kraal 
is  under  the  rule  of  the  head  man.  and  the  chief  of  the  tribe 
rules  over  all  the  kraals  in  his  jurisdiction. 

Many  of  the  customs  of  the  Zulus  very  much  resemble  the 
customs  of  the  Jews.  For  instance,  the  feast  of  the  first  fruits 
observed  at  the  time  the  corn  is  ripe,  is  similar  to  the  old  Jew- 
ish custom.  On  this  occasion  the  whole  tribe  will  gather  at 
the  king's  kraal  to  celebrate  the  event. 

One  of  the  most  revolting  customs  or  practices  of  these  peo- 
ple is  that  of  hunting  out  evil-doers  by  aid  of  witches.  It  is 
called  the  smelling-out  process.  For  this  purpose  the  people 
gather  together  in  a  large  concourse,  and  some  one  among 
them  is  supposed  to  have  committed  some  serious  offense 
against  the  people ;  and  the  witch  doctor,  if  he  happens  to  have 
a  spite  against  some  one,  will  go  through  many  awkward  an- 
tics and  finally  smell  out  the  evil-doer,  who  is  at  once  brought 
to  punishment.  It  is  a  shameful  and  most  inhuman  prac- 
tice. 

To  the  average  traveler  the  Zulu  kraal  is  merely  a  few  coni- 
cal-shaped huts,  each  one  occupied  by  one  of  the  several  wives 
of  the  heathen  head  man.  The  cattle  yard  in  the  centre  of  the 
inclosure  formed  by  the  huts  is  often  looked  upon  as  simply  a 
cattle  yard.  The  limited  time  at  the  disposal  of  the  ordinary 
traveler  does  not  admit  of  an  extensive  inquiry  into  the  beliefs, 


NATIVE  WOMAN  CARRYING  WATER. 


Zulus  and  Zululand  121 

customs  and  superstitions  of  the  Zulu  people,  but  those  who 
have  done  so  have  found  the  subject  full  of  interest  and  have 
declared  themselves  well  repaid  for  the  pains  they  have  taken. 
The  cattle  yard,  the  huts,  the  charms  on  the  roofs  of  the  huts, 
tlie  ornaments  and  charms  worn  on  the  bodies  of  the  people, 
each  forms  subject  of  interest  to  those  who  are  successful  in  ob- 
taining reliable  information  about  them.  For  some  years  Chris- 
tian people  have  been  deeply  interested  in  the  resemblance  of 
some  Zulu  customs  to  certain  customs  mentioned  in  the  Bible, 
more  especially  in  the  Old  Testament.  One  gentleman  in  South 
Africa  assured  me  that  although  he  had  loved  his  Bible  for 
years,  it  had  become  still  more  interesting  since  he  had  read  it 
alternately  through  "  English  and  Zulu  spectacles."  On  one 
occasion  he  returned  from  a  journey  and  was  told  by  his  wife 
that  her  Zulu  servant  boy  had  brought  dirty  water  from  the 
spring  and  refused  to  answer  any  questions  put  to  him  by  her 
or  her  Zulu  servant  girl.  They  could  not  learn  from  him 
whether  some  one  had  been  bathing  in  the  spring,  or  where  the 
cows  and  oxen  w^ere,  nor  would  he  look  into  their  faces  for  the 
past  two  days.  The  boy  admitted  to  his  master  the  correct- 
ness of  the  charge,  but  assured  him  it  was  through  no  disre- 
spect or  dislike  of  his  mistress,  who  was  as  a  mother  to  him. 
As  there  was  an  air  of  mystery  about  the  whole  affair,  this 
Christian  man  inquired  of  a  native  evangelist  as  to  the  cause 
of  this  singular  conduct  of  his  servant.  After  listening  care- 
fully to  the  recital  of  all  the  facts  the  evangelist  calmly  re- 
plied, "  Sir,  that  boy  is  afraid  to  speak  to  any  female  just  at 
present  lest  every  tooth  in  his  mouth  should  turn  yellow.  I 
admit,  sir,  it  is  foolish,  but  think  it  is  a  remnant  of  the  Mosaic 
ceremonial  law  mentioned  in  the  Book  of  Leviticus.  You  will 
not  find  any  mention  of  yellow  teeth  in  the  Bible,  but  you  can 


122  John  Bull's  Crime 

see  the  resemblance  between  the  passage  in  Leviticus  and  our 
Zuki  customs  as  practiced  by  the  heathen  portion  of  our  peo- 
ple." 

If  this  thing  had  occurred  with  some  employers,  perhaps  this 
boy  might  have  been  sent  to  the  court  and  punished. 

A  few  hours  later  a  Zulu  girl  is  seen  a  hundred  yards  away, 
and  this  moping  boy  brightens  up,  looks  in  that  direction,  and 
calls  out  in  Zulu,  "  Ho,  you  amiable  maiden  !  To  you  I  open  my 
mouth.  To  you  I  call  this  day."  After  this  salutation  the  girl 
is  said  to  be  a  fortunate  person,  in  having  been  honored  by  such 
an  event  as  being  the  first  person  to  be  addressed  after  these 
tliree  days  of  silence.  This  boy.  say  fifteen  years  old,  now 
chats  freely  with  all,  regardless  of  sex. 

This  experience  was  an  incentive  to  the  employer  to  pursue 
his  studies  of  native  customs  as  observed  by  the  people  gener- 
ations before  the  arrival  of  the  white  man. 

It  is  remarkable,  too,  that  the  word  Zulu  means  also  the 
heavens,  that  is,  the  sky.  The  Zulus  speak  of  the  Creator  of 
tlie  world  by  three  names,  one  meaning,  "  He  who  was  before 
all  things,"  one  meaning  "  He  who  created  the  world,"  and  one 
meaning  "  The  Great,  Great  One,"  the  latter  name  being  the 
most  common.  In  their  supplications  the  Zulus  sometimes  call 
upon  the  "  Spirit  of  Spirits,'  the  head  of  all  ancestral  spirits,  as 
the  word  "  Idhlozi  "  means  an  ancestral  spirit. 

They  believe  the  spirits  of  their  departed  friends  watch  over 
them  in  the  form  of  a  snake,  which  is  treated  kindly  lest  the 
departed  one  should  l)e  grieved  and  some  evil  result  there- 
from. A  lizard  which  is  fond  of  inhabiting  the  camel-thorn 
trees  in  some  localities  is  accused  of  having  brought  death  into 
the  world  by  carrying  a  message  too  swiftly,  while  the  chame- 
leon is  accused  of  the  same  crime  by  being  too  late  with  its  mes- 


Zulus  and  Zululand  123 

sage  of  mercy,  because  it  halted  to  taste  the  berries  of  a  bush 
and  fell  asleep.  Having  been  forbidden  to  do  this,  and  death 
having  entered  the  world  through  the  disobedience  of  the  cha- 
meleon and  the  action  of  the  lizard  the  Zulus  consider  them  both 
deserving  of  death. 

The  various  laws  pertaining  to  uncleanness  mentioned  in  the 
Books  of  ]\Ioses,  are  observed  to  a  consideraljle  extent  by  all 
the  Zulu  tribes,  some  being  more  strict  than  others.  They 
readily  understand  the  missionary  when  he  speaks  of  sacrifices, 
vows,  thank  offerings  and  first  fruits.  For  many  generations 
they  have  killed  their  cattle,  leaving  the  carcasses  for  a  time 
for  the  spirits  to  take  the  first  meal.  In  their  supplications  for 
ti:ie  removal  of  a  calamity  mention  is  made  of  the  blood  that  was 
shed,  because  without  the  shedding  of  blood  they  would  not 
dare  ask  for  mercy.  Blood  is  considered  necessary  to  atone 
for  the  past,  and  to  avert  calamity  in  the  future.  Sometimes 
a  father  having  sons  absent  from  home  sacrifices  an  ani- 
mal, saying,  in  the  language  of  Job,  '*  Perhaps  my  sons  have 
sinned."  Two  boys  traveled  with  a  w^agon  for  some  months, 
and  on  their  return  manifested  their  gratitude  by  an  offering  of 
a  few  ears  of  mealies  (corn)  to  their  supposed  protectors  for 
watching  over  them  till  their  safe  return.  Sometimes  months 
may  pass  before  these  thank  oft'erings  can  be  made.  Before 
entering  upon  an  important  journey  an  offering  is  made  to  se- 
cure the  aid  of  the  protecting  spirits.  The  custom  of  the  mar- 
riageable girls  going  annually  to  a  high  hill  to  weep  reminds 
one  of  the  daughters  of  Israel  who  "  went  yearly  to  lament  the 
daughter  of  Jephthah." 

In  watching  a  Zulu  messenger  cross  a  stream  one  notices 
that  he  does  not  stop  at  the  edge  and  kneel  down  to  drink,  but 
as  he  walks  through  the  stream  he  pitches  the  water  into  his 


124  Jo^^  Bull's  Crime 

mouth,  lapping  it  in  quick  succession  like  a  dog.  This  reminds 
one  of  Gideon's  devoted  band  of  three  hundred  men,  who 
"  lapped  water  like  a  dog,"  "  putting  their  hands  to  their 
mouths." 

A  messenger  is  passing  some  friends,  but  does  not  salute 
them,  nor  does  he  return  their  salutation  until  he  has  delivered 
his  message,  then  he  turns  toward  them  and  salutes  them  with 
the  words,  "  Sa  ni  bona,"  which  means  '*  we  saw  you."  A  cer- 
tain gentleman  who  noticed  this  custom  said  that  it  reminded 
him  of  the  instructions  given  to  the  disciples  to  "  salute  no  man 
by  the  way."  Also  the  command  of  Elisha  to  his  servant  to 
*'  Salute  no  one,  and  if  any  salute  thee,  answer  him  not  again." 

A  Zulu  woman,  who  was  not  renowned  for  her  industry, 
used  to  pluck  handfuls  of  thatch  from  the  roof  of  her  hut  and 
light  her  fire  with  it  instead  of  going  out  to  gather  wood.  For 
several  weeks  she  saw  the  other  women  cut  thatch  grass  to 
repair  their  huts,  but  she  cut  none.  When  the  rainy  season 
commenced  the  other  huts  were  in  good  order,  while  hers 
leaked  badly.  A  certain  lady  who  knew  of  the  case  opened  her 
Bible  and  pointing  to  Proverbs,  chapter  xiv.  ist  verse,  read, 
"  Every  wise  woman  buildeth  her  house,  but  the  foolish  pluck- 
eth  it  down  with  her  hands." 

In  spite  of  the  heathen  Zulu's  objection  to  the  gospel,  be- 
cause it  strikes  at  the  root  of  certain  debasing  practices,  a  mis- 
sionary Avho  has  some  knowledge  of  native  customs  and  tra- 
ditions is  able  to  interest  and  enlighten  the  people  far  more 
readily  than  one  ignorant  of  their  views.  Such  a  missionary 
arrives  at  a  kraal  in  hopes  of  being  able  to  deliver  a  gospel 
message.  A  glance  at  one  member  of  the  kraal  shows  him 
that  their  "  days  of  mourning  are  not  yet  ended,"  therefore 
he  does  not  sing.     Seated  on  the  ground,  he  proceeds  for  ex- 


Zulus  and  Zululand  125 

ample  to  assist  one  of  the  little  boys  in  the  tribe  to  extract  a 
thorn  that  may  have  entered  his  foot,  and  turning  to  the 
head  man  of  the  tribe,  who  may  be  sitting  near,  the  missionary 
asks  whether  he  ever  heard  what  the  wisest  man  of  the  world 
said  about  thorns.  Turning  to  Ecclesiastes,  seventh  chapter, 
sixth  verse,  he  reads  aloud,  "  As  the  crackling  of  thorns  under 
a  pot,  so  is  the  laughter  of  the  fool,"  and  proceeds  to  remind 
them  that  the  unseasoned  thorn  makes  a  great  noise  in  the 
fire,  perhaps  ending  with  a  loud  pop  or  a  miserable  sizzle.  A 
few  words  as  to  who  is  really  a  fool,  what  he  laughs  at  and  how 
much  his  laugh  is  worth,  ending  perhaps  by  saying,  "  His  laugh 
is  pop,  crack  and  sizzle  without  heat."  The  same  wise  man 
speaks  of  thorns  in  the  hand  and  another  speaks  of  a  road  "  be- 
ing hedged  up  with  thorns." 

"  You  can  see  that  even  a  person  who  cannot  read  can  under- 
stand the  teachings  of  the  Bible,  for  its  teachings  are  so  plain, 
and  the  Great,  Great  One  who  instructed  His  servants  to  write 
this  Book  knew  all  things,  and  as  these  servants  w^ere  familiar 
with  the  customs  of  the  people,  they  have  related  some  of  them. 
One  speaks  of  his  people  praying  to  the  '  Queen  of  Heaven  ' 
and  making  their  offerings  so  that  iheir  gardens  might  yield 
abundantly.  This  servant  was  named  Jeremiah  and  spoke  to  his 
people,  exhorting  them  to  obtain  the  favor  of  the  Great,  Great 
One,  but  they  answered  him  in  just  the  same  words  that  a  na- 
tive woman  answered  me  yesterday,  when  I  spoke  of  the  folly 
of  putting  beer  in  pots  in  her  garden  for  the  Queen  of  Heaven 
to  drink.  Jeremiah  felt  so  sad  that  he  was  unable  to  weep 
enough  to  satisfy  his  grief,  for  he  knew  that  the  laughter  of  his 
people  crackled  like  thorns  under  a  pot.  Thev  observed  the 
feasts  of  the  new  moon  and  full  moon,  they  danced  with  the 
tinkling  anklets,  they  vowed  and  sacrificed,  but  one  thing  they 


1 26  John  Bull's  Crime 

neglected,  and  that  was  to  get  the  favor  of  Him  who  made  the 
heavens,  who  holdeth  the  rain  in  His  hand  ready  for  those  to 
whom  He  chooses  to  give  it.  It  is  He  who  can  protect,  for  He 
createth  us,  our  cattle  and  our  land.  You  know  you  need  pro- 
tection, and  during  a  calamity  you  kill  an  animal,  and  with 
its  gall  you  sprinkle  each  member  of  your  family  and  the  sides 
and  top  of  your  door;  then  you  sprinkle  your  cattle  kraal  (oni 
certain  occasions).  You  call  upon  the  '  Spirit  of  Spirits  '  and 
the  spirits  of  your  ancestors  to  protect  you.  Your  women  may 
rot  enter  your  cattle  yard,  for  it  is  a  '  Holy  of  Holies,'  so  she 
sends  a  child  in.  When  I  come  again  I  will  perhaps  read  you 
what  the  Bible  says  of  sprinkling  of  blood  and  the  customs  of 
an  ancient  people.  Now,  before  I  go,  I  think  we  should  thank 
the  '  Great,  Great  One  '  that  we  have  been  spared  and  pray 
that  we  may  be  enlightened  by  Him,  so  that  we  choose  only 
the  good.  Let  us  pray  Him  to  forgive  all  the  past  and  to  change 
our  desires  and  aims  if  they  do  not  please  Him,  also  to  grant  us 
His  powerful  aid  at  all  times,  and  when  He  sees  we  are  on  a 
dangerous  path,  to  be  willing  to  have  Him  hedge  it  up  with 
thorns.  The  prayer  is  in  substance  an  acknowledgment  of  the 
right  of  the  Creator  over  the  created." 

From  the  foregoing  it  will  be  seen  that  the  study  of  Zulu 
customs  is  one  of  deep  interest  to  the  student  of  the  Bible,  for 
the  daily  habits  of  the  Zulu  people  often  throw  light  on  some 
passage  of  scripture  which  the  student  had  not  paid  much  at- 
tention to  and  which  many  learned  commentators  had  passed 
by  without  comment.  It  must  not  be  thought  possible  for  a 
total  stranger  to  rush  in  post  haste  to  a  Zulu  kraal  with  a  cam- 
era and  notebook  to  obtain  a  volume  of  information  in  an 
hour,  for  the  stranger  may  not  be  able  to  discern  between  Zulu 
tradition  pure  and  simple  and  the  mixture  of  theories  arising 


Zulus  and  Zululand  127 

from  intercourse  with  the  white  man.  Interpreters  are  not 
always  rehable  and  persons  in  search  of  truth  must  be  exceed- 
ingly careful  not  to  jump  at  conclusions.  Zulus  are  very  sus- 
picious and  superstitious,  but  when  approached  wisely  (from 
their  standpoint)  they  are  courteous  and  communicative. 

No  one  seems  to  know  much  about  the  size  of  the  popula- 
tion of  Zululand.  It  is  however  known  that  the  Zulu  army 
numbered  at  one  time  more  than  forty  thousand  well  trained 
warriors. 

Zulus  differ  from  other  natives  in  the  superior  neatness  in 
their  method  of  preparing  their  food,  and  are  much  more  cleanly 
in  their  persons.  They  are  in  the  habit  of  bathing  every  morn- 
ing, apparently  as  an  act  of  devotion.  Their  chief  pride  seems  to 
be  to  keep  their  hair  in  order.  The  women  are  watched 
strictly  and  carefully  guarded  by  the  men. 

For  many  years  the  Zulus  waged  war  against  the  Boer  set- 
tlers in  Natal  and  in  the  Transvaal.  During  the  reign  of  their 
most  bloodthirsty  king,  Dingaan  the  Great,  a  brave  little  com- 
pany of  Boers  under  the  command  of  Piet  Retief,  fleeing  from 
British  tyranny  and  oppression  in  Cape  Colony,  came  to  Natal, 
then  known  as  a  part  of  the  Zulu  country,  and  bought  some 
land  from  Dingaan.  It  is  said  that  Dingaan  was  induced  by 
some  English  residents  of  Natal  who  hated  the  Boers  bitterly 
to  ambush  Piet  Retief  and  his  brave  little  band,  and  Dingaan 
did  so,  and  the  whole  party,  consisting  of  seventy  of  the  leading 
Boers,  were  massacred.  Two  unsuccessful  attempts  were 
made  to  avenge  the  death  of  the  emigrant  Boers.  A  Dutch 
commando  under  Piet  Uis  invaded  the  Zulu  country,  but  was 
compelled  to  retreat,  leaving  their  leader  behind  them.  The 
Zulu  army  under  Dingaan  was  afterwards  defeated  by  the 
Boers  w^ith  great  slaughter. 


128  yohn  Bull's  Crime 

While  the  Ziikis  are  recognized  as  the  greatest  warriors  of 
the  black  race  in  Africa,  yet  they  are  not  equal  to  the  Boers. 

While  visiting  the  battlefields  near  Ladysmith,  on  the  Tiigela 
River,  we  came  to  a  native  kraal.  In  our  party  were  three 
Boers  and  three  Kaffir  boys,  the  latter  in  charge  of  the  mules 
and  camping  outfit.  The  Boers  suggested  that  we  enter  the 
kraal  and  buy  a  few  chickens  for  our  dinner,  as  we  had  no  meat 
with  us  with  the  exception  of  a  little  biltong.  The  kraal  was 
the  home  of  Nyangi,  one  of  the  oldest  chiefs,  and  it  was  one  of 
the  neatest  and  most  attractive  kraals  in  that  part  of  the  coun- 
try. It  consisted  of  some  thirty  to  forty  cone-shaped  huts  of 
all  sizes  arranged  in  a  circle  around  the  main  hut  of  the  chief 
located  in  the  center.  The  huts  were  made  of  sticks  and  mud 
with  thatched  roofs.  The  entrance  to  each  hut  was  a  small 
opening,  so  small  and  low  that  one  could  hardly  enter  upon  his 
hands  and  knees.  The  interior  was  black  with  smoke,  and 
rows  of  dried  corn,  gourds,  beans,  feathers  and  dried  meat  hung 
suspended  from  the  roof,  while  upon  the  earthen  floor  were 
some  crude  cooking  utensils  and  a  stone  like  a  druggist's  mor- 
tar, in  which  the  corn  was  beaten  into  meal,  and  a  vessel,  sup- 
posed to  be  some  sort  of  a  kettle,  in  which  the  meal  was  cooked 
into  mush,  called  by  them  mealie  pap.  which  they  eat  cold,  with 
milk  obtained  from  the  cows  and  goats.  Then  in  addition  to 
tliese  was  the  cooking  stove,  which  in  reality  was  only  two 
forked  sticks  of  wood  driven  into  the  ground  with  a  large  stick 
stretched  across  from  one  to  the  other,  from  which  was  sus- 
pended over  the  fire  the  kettle,  and  here  and  there  a  bunch  of 
dried  grass  or  leaves  on  which  the  inmates  together  with  their 
cats  and  dogs  made  their  beds. 

The  kraal  was  located  in  a  little  valley  by  the  side  of  a  moun- 
tain stream  of  pure  cold  water  that  came  from  a  spring  in  the 


ALIEN'S  CffiCtlATf!^"  UP'^'- 


<i2  COf« 


Zulus  and  Zululand  i  29 

mountains  close  by.  The  valley  was  covered  with  small  patches 
of  corn  which  was  growing  nicely  under  the  careful  attention 
of  the  natives.  At  some  distance  away  was  a  herd  of  fat  cat- 
tle and  a  flock  of  beautiful  Angora  goats  and  sheep  carefully 
guarded  by  a  company  of  boys  and  young  men.  It  was,  indeed, 
a  most  attractive  spot,  and  one  could  not  help  but  wonder  if 
these  untutored  savages  in  their  simple  homes,  amid  these 
charming  surroundings,  were  not  happier  after  all  than  many 
white  people  in  the  more  civilized  communities  of  the  world 
whose  whole  lives  are  wasted  in  chasing  after  the  almighty 
dollar  or  struggling  for  fame  in  a  dying  world. 

At  our  approach  to  the  entrance  to  the  kraal,  for  it  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  fence  made  of  sticks  driven  into  the  ground  and 
covered  with  wild  vines  growing  luxuriantly  all  over  it,  and 
had  but  one  entrance,  the  whistle  of  alarm  was  given  and  im- 
mediately some  stalwart  Zulus  emerged  from  a  hut  and  saluted 
us.  One  of  the  Boers,  who  could  speak  the  Zulu  language, 
stated  the  object  of  our  visit  Forthwith  we  were  conducted 
to  the  central  hut,  where,  at  its  entrance,  stood  the  dignified  old 
chief.  He  was  a  man  about  seventy  years  of  age,  six  feet  three 
inches  tall,  and  would  weigh  about  two  hundred  and  forty 
pounds.  He  was  entirely  naked  with  the  exception  of  a  small 
cloth  tied  about  his  loins.  On  his  head  was  a  wire  band  or  ring 
fastened  in  some  manner  in  his  kinky  hair,  which  was  supposed 
to  be  a  crown.  In  his  hand  he  held  a  peculiar  walking  stick 
which  was  used  as  a  mace.  His  ankles  and  wrists  were  covered 
with  various  kinds  of  peculiar  rings.  His  ears  were  also 
pierced  and  had  brass  rings  in  them.  Being  introduced  to  him 
by  the  Boer  interpreter  as  a  visitor  from  the  great  white  man's 
country  across  the  sea  who  had  come  to  pay  my  respects  to  him, 
he  made  a  profound  bow,  and  then  raising  his  eyes  to  the 


130  John  Bull's  Crime 

heavens  and  extending  his  hand,  he  said,  "  Behold  ah  these 
mountains  and  valleys,  they  belong  to  me  and  my  people.  In 
them  the  stranger  is  welcome,  and  Chief  Nyangi  proclaims  that 
death  shall  be  the  portion  of  any  one  of  his  tribe  who  dares  to 
offer  hurt  to  the  white  visitor."  Then  he  extended  his  hand 
and  warmly  welcomed  me  to  his  kraal.  He  then  gave  a  pe- 
culiar wdiistle,  which  called  all  the  men,  women  and  children 
from  all  the  huts  to  assist  in  welcoming  the  strangers,  and  a 
motley  crew  they  were.  Old,  middle-aged  and  young.  The 
musicians  brought  forth  their  Zulu  instruments,  and  to  their 
quaint  music  they  began  a  dance,  which  I  was  told  was  the 
Zulu  dance  of  welcome  to  distinguished  visitors  to  their  kraal. 

For  a  few  shillings  we  bought  a  half  dozen  nice,  fat  chickens, 
and  after  a  short  talk  wdth  the  chief  about  his  tribe  and  about 
the  country  we  took  our  leave.  As  w^e  started  away  he  called 
one  of  his  boys  to  his  side  and  bade  him  enter  his  hut  and  bring- 
out  a  singular  w^alking  stick  which  the  chief  informed  us  had 
been  carved  by  one  of  his  tribe.  This  he  presented  to  me  with 
a  neat  little  speech,  expressing  the  desire  that  I  should  take  the 
stick  with  me  to  America  and  keep  it  as  a  souvenir  of  my  visit 
to  Nyangi,  the  greatest  chief  of  the  Zulus.  He  and  his  retinue 
accompanied  us  to  the  entrance  of  the  kraal,  and  as  w^e  started 
on  our  journey  they  sang  a  peculiar  song  called  a  parting 
song,  and  for  some  distance  looking  back  we  could  see  those 
kindhearted  Zulus  waving  their  hands  and  bidding  us  adieu, 
and  the  queer,  weird  music  sounded  strange  and  peculiar  upon 
our  ears. 

The  mendacious  cabals  of  Great  Britain  have  endeavored  in 
every  possible  manner  to  poison  the  minds  of  the  Christian  peo- 
ple of  Great  Britain  as  well  as  of  our  own  country,  and  thus 
create  an  unholy  prejudice  against  the  Boers.     In  fact,  some 


Zulus  and  Zululand  131 

distinguished  missionaries  and  even  bishops  of  some  of  the 
churches  have  visited  our  own  country  from  South  Africa  and 
brought  to  our  people  terrible  tales  about  the  savagery  of  the 
Boers  toward  the  Zulus.  It  has  been  alleged  by  those  in  position 
to  know  that  this  was  caused  by  money  in  abundance  being  con- 
tributed by  certain  citizens  of  England,  and  it  is  a  singular 
thing  how  easily  many  of  the  missionaries  from  England  and 
America  to  South  Africa  are  biased  by  liberal  contributions.  It 
is  singular  how  easy  it  is  for  these  brethren  to  sympathize  with 
the  fat,  sleek  Britisher  who  has  a  fat  purse  and  who  is  care- 
less about  the  manner  in  which  he  draws  those  purse  strings. 
A  fat  purse  in  the  hands  of  a  scheming,  liberal  Britisher  hath 
performed  wonders  in  South  Africa,  and  among  the  mission- 
aries in  particular.  I  do  not  wish  it  to  be  understood  as  my 
desire  to  say  aught  against  the  great  work  performed  by  the 
religious  people  of  the  world  along  the  lines  of  sending  mis- 
sionaries out  to  convert  the  heathen.  There  have  been  many 
good  men  and  women  who  have  toiled  from  youth  to  old  age 
in  the  mission  fields  of  South  Africa,  and  their  many  deeds  of 
kindness  in  the  interest  of  humanity  in  carrying  the  gospel  of 
the  Saviour  of  mankind  to  the  savages  in  their  native  kraals  in 
the  dark  continent  will  live  on  and  on,  never  to  be  forgotten  by 
the  poor  black  savages,  who  under  their  Christian  influence  and 
teachings  were  converted  into  thrifty,  intelligent  men  and  wo- 
men. These  will  never  cease  to  remember  the  glorious  work 
of  those  humble  missionaries.  But  while  this  is  true  of  some 
missionaries,  the  other  fact  is  true  that  other  missionaries  have 
caused  a  great  deal  of  trouble  among  the  natives.  Many  who 
were  once  moral,  clean  and  peaceable  in  their  savage  state,  under 
the  teachings  of  these  evil  missionaries  have  become  exceed- 
ingly immoral  and  very  warlike,  and  cause  a  great  deal  of  un- 


132  John  Bull's  Crime 

rest  among  the  people  of  their  own  tribes  as  well  as  among  the 
white  people  who  had  their  homes  near  to  them. 

The  Boers  are  a  highly  civilized  and  Christian  people, 
and  they  have  always  believed  that  since  the  savages  in  their 
own  territory  are  six  times,  possibly  seven  times,  as  numerous 
as  themselves,  the  only  way  to  keep  the  savages  in  subjec- 
tion is  to  look  after  them  themselves,  to  treat  them  kindly,  yet 
at  the  same  time  firmly,  to  make  them  know  their  place  and  by 
all  means  not  to  permit  them  to  get  the  upper  hand; 
in  other  w^ords,  being  a  great  people,  they  believe  in  acting  as 
their  own  missionaries.  The  Boers  are  very  kind  and  gentle 
to  the  natives.  Of  course,  they  compel  them  to  know  their 
place  and  will  not  permit  them  to  become  domineering  and  cruel 
and  bombastic,  for  they  know  full  well  in  their  large  numbers 
if  they  were  permitted  to  have  their  own  way  it  would  be  but 
a  short  time  before  the  Boers'  wives  and  children  would  be 
murdered  and  the  men  probably  compelled  to  flee  from  the 
country  in  order  to  save  their  lives.  For  this  reason  the  Boers 
have  steadily  refused  to  permit  missionaries  who  were  sent 
from  England  especially  into  that  country  to  work  among  the 
natives  within  the  confines  of  the  two  republics,  because  they 
look  upon  these  English  missionaries  as  the  worst  kind  of  mis- 
chief makers.  Because  of  this  attitude  of  the  Boers  toward 
the  missionaries,  the  sympathies  of  the  missionaries  are  with 
the  British.  The  Boers  have  not  contributed  gold  to  their 
cause,  hence  in  an  awful  struggle  between  a  greedy,  selfish  mon- 
archy and  two  justice-loving  republics,  the  sympathies  of  these 
missionaries  as  God-fearing  men  go  out  to  the  monarchy  with 
its  tyranny,  oppression  and  injustice,  rather  than  to  the  repub- 
lics with  their  love  for  justice,  liberty  and  equality.  Shame, 
shame !     Oh,  ye  frauds  and  hypocrites ! 


CHAPTER  IX. 

The  battlefields.  On  the  firing  line  and  in  the  camp  of  the  Boers.  A 
meeting  with  General  Joubert.  Boer  generals  and  troops  an  unos- 
tentatious   band    of    mighty    farmers.     Their    wholesome    hospitality. 

'.  Skillful  handling  of  machine  guns  by  Boer  farmer  boys.  BuUer  at 
Tugela  River  greatly  harassed  and  nonplussed  by  the  wonderful  skill 
of  the  Boers  in  moving  detachments  quickly.  Their  tactics  and  the 
necessity  therefor.  Boer  marksmanship.  British  soldiers  handicapped 
in  marksmanship  on  account  of  clearness  of  atmosphere,  so  unlike  that 
of  England,  and  unable  therefore  to  judge  of  distances.  Some  clever 
horse-stealing.     The  Boer  bivouac. 

BEING  anxious  to  visit  the  battlefields  and  see  the  Boer  in 
camp  and  on  the  firing  line,  President  Kruger's  private 
car  was  placed  at  my  disposal.  It  was  well  stocked  with 
provisions,  and  the  President's  private  porter  was  in  charge, 
with  instructions  to  take  good  care  of  me  until  I  returned.  As 
the  railroad  at  that  time  was  not  in  operation  beyond  Modder's 
Spruit,  a  little  station  about  eight  or  ten  miles  from  Ladysmith, 
at  that  point  our  car  was  side-tracked,  and  there  it  remained 
until  I  was  ready  to  return.  At  Modder's  Spruit,  I  was  in- 
formed that  every  arrangement  had  been  made  for  my  visit  to 
all  points  of  interest  in  the  vicinity  of  the  besieged  city  of 
Ladysmith  and  on  the  Tugela  River.  These  arrangements 
consisted  of  horses  to  ride  and  a  red  cross  wagon  and  a  Scotch 
cart  to  carry  our  camping  outfit,  both  drawn  by  mules  and  in 
charge  of  three  Kafifir  boys.  These  had  been  kindly  provided 
by  General  Joubert  at  the  order  of  the  officials  at  Pretoria. 
Three  stalwart  Boers  heavily  armed  had  also  been  placed  at 
my  command  to  conduct  me  through  dangerous  places  in  safety. 
After  my  arrival  at  that  station,  my  first  duty  was  to  pay  my 

U3 


134  John  Bull's  Crime 

respects  to  General  Joubert  at  Hoofd  laager,  which  was  the 
headquarters  of  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Boer  Army. 
Approaching  the  laager  my  astonishment  was  indeed  great 
when  I  found  myself  suddenly  in  the  midst  of  a  lot  of  covered 
wagons  arranged  in  a  circle  around  two  tents,  one  large,  the 
other  small.  It  reminded  me  very  much  of  the  manner  in 
which  the  pioneers  of  our  own  western  states  camped  when 
tJiey  crossed  the  plains  and  had  to  protect  themselves  from  the 
roving  bands  of  wild  savages.  Entering  the  large  tent  with 
Adjutant-General  Amlong,  a  very  courteous  gentleman,  I  was 
introduced  to  a  number  of  Boers  who  were  sitting  about  on 
boxes  smoking.  Presently  an  elderly  looking  man  of  medium 
size  entered  the  tent  and  I  was  at  once  presented  to  General 
Joubert.  Imagine  my  surprise  when  I  was  informed  that  this 
simple  looking  man,  apparently  just  a  farmer,  without  uni- 
form, simply  in  clothing  like  the  clothing  our  farmers  wear, 
without  pompous  show,  or  display,  not  even  carrying  a  sword, 
was  the  commandant  of  the  whole  Boer  army,  and  the  man 
wdio  won  lasting  fame  at  the  Battle  of  Majuba  Hill  in  the  long 
ago.  It  was  such  a  contrast  from  what  I  had  seen  in  the 
British  camps,  where  brilliant  uniforms,  bombastic  display  and 
all  improved  paraphernalia  of  modern  warfare  appeared  on 
every  hand.  The  general  shook  hands  with  me  and  said  he  was 
delighted  to  have  an  American  direct  from  America  to  visit 
him.  He  talked  English  perfectly,  and  was  a  great  admirer  of 
my  country  and  its  people. 

After  talking  for  some  time  of  the  ordeal  through  which  his 
people  were  passing  he  turned  to  two  of  his  sons  who  were  on 
his  staff  and  said :  "  Tell  mother  to  come  here,  and  also  bring 
some  refreshments,  for  Mr.  Davis  must  be  worn  out  after  so 
long  a  ride."     In  a  short  time  they  returned  to  the  tent  bring- 


The  Battlefields  135 

ing  a  pitcher  of  fresh  milk  and  some  mealie  biscuits.  They 
were  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Joubert,  to  whom  I  was  introduced 
by  the  general. 

''  Why,"  said  I,  "  Mrs.  Joubert,  do  you  accompany  the  gen- 
eral on  his  campaigns?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  she.  "  Piet  couldn't  get  along  without  me. 
If  I  were  not  with  him  he  would  not  be  properly  cared  for,  and 
as  I  have  been  with  him  in  every  battle  since  Majuba  Hill,  I 
shall  continue  following  him  around  until  one  or  the  other  of 
us  is  killed." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  general,  "  I  try  to  keep  mother  at  home,  but 
it  is  useless  to  try,  she  will  be  a  camp  follower.  Why,  the 
other  day,  during  the  Battle  of  Elandslaagte,  I  was  horrified 
to  see  her  sitting  calmly  on  a  huge  boulder  on  a  mountain  side 
within  range  of  the  British  guns  with  one  of  my  field  glasses  in 
her  hand  viewing  the  fight.  She  will  surely  get  killed  some 
day." 

But  it  was  the  poor  old  general  who  died  first,  a  short  time 
after  this,  and  his  grand  old  white-haired  wife,  his  companion 
through  a  most  stormy  life,  followed  him  to  his  grave  and  then 
returned  to  her  home  to  remain  until  called  upon  to  join  him 
on  the  other  side. 

We  then  proceeded  to  the  camps  of  the  Boers  on  the  Tugela 
River.  One  night  we  approached  a  Boer  farm,  and  concluded 
to  ask  permission  to  camp  there  for  the  night  in  order  to  get 
water  for  our  mules  and  horses.  An  old-fashioned  Dutch 
woman  met  us  at  the  door  of  the  house,  and  when  we  stated  our 
desire,  she  said:  "  All  the  men  folks  are  at  the  front  fighting; 
only  my  daughters  and  myself  and  a  few  Kafihr  boys  are  on  the 
farm,  but  you  are  perfectly  welcome  to  camp  with  us  over 
night." 


136  John  Bull's  Crime 

While  we  were  getting  ready  to  pitch  our  tent  one  of  the 
daughters  came  and  said  that  supper  was  ready  and  "  mother 
wants  you  to  come  in  and  join  us  at  table."  We  said  no, 
that  we  would  prepare  our  own  meal,  but  she  insisted  that  her 
mother  would  be  displeased  if  we  declined  the  invitation,  and  we 
therefore  accepted  of  this  hospitality;  and  after  we  had  par- 
taken of  a  most  delightful  meal  of  fresh  eggs,  vegetables,  mealie 
biscuits,  fried  chicken,  fruit  and  coffee,  the  good  old  mother 
told  us  the  sad  story  of  how  she  and  old  Jan,  her  husband,  at  an 
early  day  had  fled  from  British  persecution  in  Cape  Colony, 
and  after  purchasing  a  farm  from  the  Kaffirs  had  spent  many 
years  in  developing  that  farm,  in  building  a  home  for  their 
children,  and  how  many  times  during  those  years  they  had 
been  compelled  to  fight  against  the  wild  beasts  and  the  wild  sav- 
ages, and  now  in  their  old  days,  Jan,  and  his  sons,  now  grown 
to  manhood,  were  compelled  to  go  to  fight  for  their  homes 
against  the  cruel,  grasping  British.  It  was  a  sad  story  of  suf- 
fering and  hardship,  but  nothing  unusual,  for  thousands  of 
other  farmers  in  that  unhappy  country  were  passing  through 
the  same  experiences. 

Soon  after  retiring  to  our  tent  to  get  a  little  rest,  we  heard 
the  young  girls  on  the  porch  of  the  house  singing  in  plaintive 
voices  that  song  so  dear  to  every  lover  of  home : 

'Mid  pleasures  and  palaces,  though  we  may  roam, 

Be  it  ever  so  humble,  there's  no  place  like  home ! 

A  charm  from  the  skies  seems  to  hallow  us  there. 

Which,  seek  through  the  world,  is  ne'er  met  with  elsewhere. 

Home  !    home  !    sweet,  sweet  home  ! 

Be  it  ever  so  humble, 

There's  no  place  like  home! 

The  next  morning,  after  breakfast  with  the  family,  I  offered 
to  pay  the  mother  for  our  accommodations,  when  she  said: 


The  Battlefields  i  37 

"  As  you  are  a  stranger,  sir,  in  our  country,  you  will  be  par- 
doned for  your  indiscretion.  But  it  is  regarded  as  an  insult 
for  a  stranger  to  offer  pay  for  a  night's  lodging  for  self  or 
beast  on  any  Boer  farm." 

I  could  not  keep  from  wondering  if  these  were  some  of  the 
Boer  savages  I  had  read  about  in  British  sympathizing  news- 
papers and  had  heard  about  from  British  officials. 

The  farmers  were  scattered  in  laagers  amid  the  hills  sur- 
rounding Ladysmith  and  all  along  the  Tugela  River.  Some  of 
their  forts  consisted  of  bags  of  dirt  and  stones  piled  up  one  upon 
the  other.  On  the  hills,  or  kopjes,  as  they  called  them,  were 
small  squads  of  country  boys  manning  the  cannon  and  Max- 
ims. I  looked  in  vain  for  the  trained  and  distinguished  artil- 
lerymen from  foreign  lands  that  the  British  had  alleged  were 
in  control  of  the  artillery  branch  of  the  Boer  army.  I  failed 
to  find  them.  But  I  did  find  boys  from  Boer  farms  handling 
Long  Toms,  Nordenfeldts  and  Maxims  in  a  manner  that  scat- 
tered death  and  consternation  throughout  the  British  army. 

One  of  the  chief  qualities  of  the  Boers  is  their  remarkable 
mobility.  To-day  they  appear  in  one  position;  to-morrow  they 
may  be  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  away,  occupying  another 
position.  They  have  scarcely  any  paraphernalia  to  move  about. 
The  fighting  Boer  is  able  to  move  almost  anywhere  at  a  mo- 
ment's notice.  All  he  possesses  is  a  trusty  horse,  a  rifle,  two 
bandoliers  filled  with  cartridges,  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  each, 
thrown  from  his  shoulders,  with  a  pipe  in  his  mouth,  one 
pocket  of  his  coat  filled  with  Transvaal  smoking  tobacco,  in 
the  other  a  few  mealie  biscuits  and  a  few  small  pieces  of  bil- 
tong. Thus  equipped  he  is  ready  for  war.  This  light- 
ness for  traveling,  joined  to  their  management  of  their  horses, 
enables   the   Boers   to   travel   sixty   miles   in   a   night,    and   it 


138  John  Bull's  Crime 

was  beyond  any  doubt  that  detachments  of  Boers  traveled  back 
and  forth  between  the  Modder  River  and  Ladysmith. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  whatever  that  there  were  not  more  than 
thirty  thousand  Boers  under  arms  at  any  time,  while  the  British 
army  numbered  three  hundred  thousand,  with  fully  thirty  thou- 
sand horses  and  forty  thousand  mules,  and  with  about  three 
hundred  of  the  greatest  cannon  in  the  world,  besides  numerous 
Maxims  and  lyddite  guns  from  the  great  battleships,  which 
were  brought  to  throw  lyddite  shells.  These  lyddite  shells, 
however,  did  not  cause  much  destruction.  It  was  estimated  that 
there  were  two  thousand  of  them  thrown  upon  Spion's  Kop  dur- 
ing the  battle  there  and  the  two  thousand  only  killed  two  Boers. 
I  met  one  old  Boer  at  Helborn  laager  who  had  been  in  the  Bat- 
tle of  Spion's  Kop.  His  hair  and  beard,  which  were  white  be- 
fore the  battle,  were  as  yellow  as  an  orange  after  the  battle  was 
over,  and  the  cause  of  this  change  of  color  in  his  hair  and  whis- 
kers was  that  a  lyddite  shell  had  exploded  within  a  few  feet 
of  where  he  was  standing  in  a  trench  and  the  fumes  from  the 
picric  acid  escaping  from  the  shell  saturated  his  white  hair  and 
beard. 

The  burghers  were  not  much  in  evidence  during  a  battle. 
They  remained  under  cover  as  much  as  possible. 

I  do  not  believe  that  General  Buller,  or  in  fact  any  of  the 
soldiers  or  officers  under  him,  saw  a  single  Boer  soldier  for  some 
time  after  the  commencement  of  the  Battle  of  Colenso.  Buller 
approached  the  Tugela  River  from  the  south.  Right  at  Co- 
lenso was  a  bridge  crossing  the  Tugela  River.  The  Boers  were 
supposed  to  be  intrenched  on  the  north  side  of  that  river  and 
near  the  north  approach  to  the  bridge.  It  is  quite  certain  that 
General  Buller  did  not  believe  there  was  a  solitary  Boer 
soldier  on  the  south  side  of  the  river.    Hence  he  ordered  his  ar- 


The  Battlefields  139 

tillery  force  up  close  to  the  southern  approach  to  the  bridge,  se- 
cure in  the  behef  that  the  Boers  had  not  crossed  the  bridge  to 
the  country  lying  to  the  east  of  Colenso.  Eut  when  the  ar- 
tillery came  near  to  the  southern  end  of  the  bridge,  to  Buller's 
evident  amazement  a  hea\-\-  tire  was  opened  upon  them  from 
some  kopjes  close  at  hand,  but  to  the  east  of  the  troops  and 
south  of  the  bridge.  Then  was  the  first  time  that  the  British 
realized  or  knew  that  any  of  the  Boers  had  crossed  the  bridge 
to  the  Colenso  side  of  the  Tugela  River.  Not  a  Boer  could  be 
seen,  yet  a  merciless  fire  was  poured  into  the  British  ranks  from 
the  unseen  Boers  close  at  hand.  General  BuUer  was  in  range 
and  came  very  near  being  killed.  He  lost  some  eleven  guns  and 
about  two  thousand  men  killed  and  wounded  in  that  battle. 
This  was  a  splendid  evidence  of  the  soldierly  ability  of  the 
Boers.  Evidently  the  Boers  had  learned  their  soldiering  from 
Icmg  years  of  fighting  with  the  natives.  They  had  evidently 
learned  from  the  natives  the  trick  of  hiding  behind  kopjes  and 
in  spruits  and  of  lying  concealed  and  silent  in  close  neighbor- 
hood to  the  enemy,  and  of  reserving  their  fire,  of  outflanking 
movements  on  both  sides  at  once,  of  a  crescent  formation  which 
attempted  to  close  round  the  enemy  and  cut  off  his  communica- 
tions, and  of  taking  advantage  of  every  scrap  of  cover  no  mat- 
ter how  small  it  might  be.  I  have  seen  Boers  and  many  of 
them  on  a  battlefield  where  there  were  innumerable  ant  hills  Iv- 
ing  safe  and  secure  behind  the  ant  hills,  each  man  behind  a  sep- 
arate ant  hill,  or  even  behind  a  small  stone  or  boulder  no  larger 
than  an  ordinary  ant  hill.  Yet  the  Boer  kept  up  an  unceasing 
fire  when  not  even  he  or  his  rifle  barrel  could  be  seen.  In 
fact  there  was  nothing  but  his  right  hand  and  his  right  eye 
exposed  at  any  time  and  then  only  for  a  moment.  He  did  not 
have  to  wait  for  an  order  to  fire  in  volley  nor  did  he  have  to 


140  John  Bull's  Crime 

rise  up  to  fire.  He  was  never  exposed  unnecessarily.  The 
Boer  commanders  were  very  careful  not  to  expose  a  single  man 
unnecessarily,  for  the  reason  that  the  Boer  forces  were  so  small 
in  number  that,  as  General  Joubert  said  to  me,  they  did  not  want 
to  lose  a  single  man  from  unnecessary  exposure.  For  this  rea- 
son General  Joubert  subjected  himself  to  the  unjust  criticism  on 
the  part  of  many  laymen  that  he  was  entirely  too  conserva- 
tive, that  he  did  not  follow  up  the  victories  which  he  won  by 
pursuing  the  enemy  and  harassing  it  to  the  last  extreme.  For 
this  reason  many  British  officers  and  British  correspondents  in 
the  British  press  stated  that  the  Boers  would  not  fight  in  the 
open,  that  they  were  too  cowardly  to  stand  up  and  meet  the 
enemy  on  equal  terms  and  on  the  open  ground.  The  truth  of 
the  matter  is  that  whenever  it  has  been  necessary  at  any  time 
for  the  Boers  to  fight  in  the  open  they  have  acquitted  them- 
selves nobly.  In  proof  of  this  statement  I  have  only  to  refer 
to  the  heroic  conduct  of  the  Boers  at  Majuba  Hill  and  at 
Spion's  Kop,  where,  on  it  being  necessary  to  fight  in  the  open 
and  necessary  to  take  those  hills,  they  went  up  their  steep  sides 
against  overwhelming  odds,  displaying  as  much  bravery  as 
was  ever  displayed  in  the  world's  history. 

The  Boers  are  natural  marksmen ;  in  fact,  they  are  all  sharp- 
shooters. They  have  always  been  trained  from  early  childhood 
to  be  exceedingly  expert  in  the  use  of  the  rifle,  their  only 
weapon  of  warfare  aside  from  a  few  cannon  and  Maxims.  In 
other  years,  when  the  visitor  approached  the  farm  of  a  Boer, 
after  a  most  cordial  welcome,  the  father  of  the  household  would 
call  his  young  son  to  his  side,  a  boy  but  ten  or  twelve  years  of 
age,  and  saying  to  him  that  it  was  necessary  to  have  fresh  meat 
for  the  newly  arrived  guest,  he  would  take  down  the  rifle,  and 
handing  it  to  the  lad  with  just  one  cartridge,  would  tell  him  to 


The  Battlefields  141 

bridle  the  pony  and  hasten  away  for  a  mile  or  two  and  bring 
home  a  spring  bok  for  fresh  meat.  The  spring  bok  is  a  species 
of  small  deer  very  similar  to  our  western  antelope,  very  numer- 
ous in  South  Africa.  The  boy  after  being  gone  a  short  time, 
invariably  returned  with  the  spring  bok,  having  killed  it  with 
a  single  cartridge.  Should  he  fail  to  kill  the  animal  and  thus 
waste  the  cartridge,  the  lad  was  sure  to  receive  a  sound  thrash- 
ing for  his  poor  marksmanship.  Thus  were  the  boys  trained 
from  early  childhood  to  the  use  of  the  rifle.  I  frequently  saw 
boys  ranging  from  ten  to  fifteen  years  of  age  standing  in  the 
trenches  on  the  battlefield,  side  by  side  with  their  fathers,  using 
their  rifles  with  as  much  dexterity  and  certainty  of  aim  as  their 
fathers. 

Another  thing  in  addition  to  their  splendid  marksmanship 
that  causes  the  list  of  casualties  in  the  British  army  to  be  so 
much  greater  than  that  of  the  Boers  is  the  fact  that  the  British 
soldiers  leave  their  British  homes  situated  as  they  are  in  an 
atmosphere  much  more  murky  than  that  of  South  Africa.  One 
who  has  ever  visited  London  doubtless  remembers  the  fog  that 
falls  upon  the  city,  so  dark  and  thick  at  times  that  it  can  almost 
be  cut  into  slices  with  a  knife,  when  it  is  necessary  for  all  the  gas 
and  electric  lights  along  the  streets  to  be  turned  on  in  full 
blast  in  order  that  the  people  may  get  along  the  streets.  When 
the  British  soldiers  go  to  South  Africa  they  find  an  entirely 
different  atmosphere.  The  sun  is  bright,  the  skies  clear,  the  at- 
mosphere so  rarefied  that  they  cannot  possibly  estimate  the  dis- 
tance intervening  between  themselves  and  a  certain  object.  As 
an  illustration  of  this  I  might  mention  an  experience  of  mine 
several  years  ago  in  visiting  Colorado.  We  arrived  in  the  city 
of  Pueblo  in  the  night  from  the  eastern  part  of  the  republic, 
and  when  we  arose  the  next  morning  and  looked  out  of  our 


142  John  Bull's  Crime 

window  toward  the  Rocky  Mountains,  that  rose  majestically  to 
the  westward,  it  seemed  to  us  that  they  could  only  be  a  short 
distance  off  as  we  looked  upon  the  great  seams  in  the  mountain 
side  and  the  mighty  banks  of  snow  and  huge  boulders  thereon, 
that  it  would  be  but  a  short  walk  over  to  the  mountains  before 
breakfast ;  but  imagine  our  amazement  when  we  were  in- 
formed that  those  mountains  were  more  than  sixty  miles  away. 
It  is  the  same  sort  of  atmosphere  one  finds  in  South  Africa. 
Objects  appear  near  at  hand  when  in  fact  they  are  frequently 
a  great  distance  away.  So  when  the  British  soldier  takes  aim 
at  a  Boer  and  fires  he  fails  to  hit  him  because  he  has  not  carefully 
considered  the  distance  intervening.  But  not  so  with  the  Boer. 
He  is  accustomed  to  his  own  country,  and  can  tell  to  a  math- 
ematical certainty  the  exact  distance  an  object  is  off.  He  knows 
where  to  locate  the  British  soldier;  he  can  tell  perfectly  when 
he  is  in  range  of  his  rifle,  and  he  will  not  take  aim  until  he  is 
certain  that  the  British  soldier  is  within  range,  then  he  fires  and 
fires  to  kill,  and  rarely  misses. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  incidents  that  came  under  my 
observation  was  the  method  by  which  the  Boers  captured  many 
of  the  horses  belonging  to  the  British  soldiers  who  were  locked 
up  in  Ladysmith.  Three  or  four  Boers,  after  having  noted  care- 
fully the  feeding  ground  of  the  British  horses,  would  take  up 
a  covert  position  within  easy  range  of  the  British  fort  above  it, 
.and,  after  sending  two  or  three  Kafiir  boys  and  one  or  two  of 
the  most  venturesome  of  their  own  men  to  ride  stealthily  along 
and  cut  out  as  many  horses  as  they  thought  they  could  get 
away  with  safely,  they  would  defend  their  comrades  so  well  with 
their  Mauser  rifles  that  the  British  soldiers  could  not  effectively 
interfere.  Then  the  captured  horses  were  brought  up  to  the 
main  party  of  the  Boers  and  were  immediately  rushed  out  of 


The  Battlefields  143 

rifle  range.  In  two  or  three  days  of  this  sort  of  work  two 
brothers  in  one  of  the  big  laagers  were  said  to  have  secured 
over  thirty  fine  large  horses  from  the  British  soldiers.  Fre- 
quently a  lively  skirmish  would  occur  between  the  soldiers  of 
the  two  armies  on  occasions  of  this  sort,  but  the  Boers  nearly 
always  got  away  with  the  horses  in  safety.  By  this  means  many 
a  Boer  soldier  was  able  to  ride  a  fine  horse  from  one  battle- 
field to  another  when  otherwise  he  would  probably  have  had  to 
walk. 

Just  before  leaving  the  Boer  army  for  Pretoria,  I  visited  the 
camp  of  the  famous  Irish  Brigade.  This  was  a  body  of  three 
hundred  Americans,  mostly  Irishmen,  from  almost  every  state 
in  the  Union,  who  had  been  working  in  the  mines  at  Johan- 
nesburg, but  when  the  war  began,  believing  in  the  justness  of 
the  Boer  cause,  they  enlisted  in  the  Boer  army  and  selected  as 
their  commander  Colonel  J.  Y.  F.  Blake,  a  native  Missourian, 
and  a  graduate  of  West  Point.  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  de- 
scribe the  warmth  of  the  welcome  extended  to  me  by  these 
fellow  countrymen.  Their  enthusiasm  was  boundless.  Some 
of  them  laughed  and  some  cried  like  children,  and  some  shouted 
like  Comanche  Indians,  when  they  realized  that  an  American 
was  in  their  camp  direct  from  home.  They  were  heart  and  soul 
in  sympathy  with  the  Boers,  and  begged  me  upon  my  return 
home  to  do  everything  possible  to  acquaint  our  countrynien  of 
their  stand  taken  on  the  side  of  right.  Before  leaving  their 
camp  I  was  forced  to  stand  with  them  in  a  group  and  have  our 
picture  taken  beneath  their  only  flag,  and  that  was  a  faded  ban- 
ner of  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  Of  the  many  pathetic  incidents 
of  my  trip  to  South  Africa  none  was  more  affecting  to  me  than 
the  separation  from  these  American  boys,  who,  I  believe,  should 
be  enrolled  among  the  world's  greatest  heroes,  for  they  were 


144  John  Bull's  Crime 

not  risking  life  for  their  own  country  and  their  own  hberties,  but 
for  the  salvation  and  perpetuity  of  free  institutions  of  other 
lands  and  for  the  liberties  of  other  peoples.  Those  of  that  little 
band  who  still  live  will  be  honored  by  all  who  love  liberty,  and 
the  names  of  those  w^ho  died  shall  never  be  forgotten 

While  fame  her  record  keeps 

And  honor  guards  the  hallowed  spot 

Where  valor  proudly  sleeps. 

I  believe  had  the  Boers  been  more  aggressive  at  the  com- 
mencement of  hostilities,  and,  instead  of  besieging  the  British 
at  Ladysmith,  Kimberley  and  Mafeking,  had  marched  like  a 
conquering  host  dow-n  through  Cape  Colony  direct  to  Cape 
Town,  the  result  would  have  been  that  the  Dutch  of  Cape  Col- 
ony, who  outnumbered  the  British  residents  six  or  seven  to  one, 
but  who  were  not  so  well  organized  and  so  well  armed  as  the 
Dutch  burghers  of  the  two  South  African  republics,  w-ould  then 
have  been  encouraged  to  take  up  arms  and  join  the  two  re- 
publics in  a  mighty  effort  to  drive  the  British  government  for- 
ever from  South  Africa,  and  upon  its  ruins  erect  a  new  republic 
embracing  the  territory  from  the  Zaml^esi  River  to  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope.  Had  this  been  done,  there  is  no  doubt  in  the 
w^orld  that  the  British  government  would  have  had  to  content 
itself  with  simply  retaining  a  coaling  station  at  Simonstown 
or  Cape  Town.  The  failure  of  the  Boers  to  do  this  is  the 
great  mistake  that  has  been  made.  It  may  result  in  a  lasting 
loss  to  humanity  and  to  civilization,  for,  had  this  been  done  the 
Boers  would  have  won,  and  the  fires  of  liberty  would  have  been 
kindled  on  mountain  and  veldt,  and  the  temples  of  liberty  would 
have  been  erected  throughout  the  southern  part  of  that  great 
dark  and  mysterious  continent,  and  liberty-loving  people  from 


The  Battlefields  145 

every  land  where  tyranny  and  oppression  hold  sway  would 
he  invited  to  come  to  that  land  and  build  homes  for  themselves 
and  their  loved  ones,  a  land  where  the  white  lily  of  peace  would 
spring'  up  in  the  future  in  the  soil  where  once  bloomed  the  red 
blossom  of  war.  It  does  seem  to  me  that  every  Christian  man 
and  woman  in  the  United  States  ought  to-  deeply  sympathize 
with  the  Boers,  and  I  believe  they  would  do  so  if  thev  could 
but  enter  the  Boer  camps  and  there  behold  the  farmers  clad  in 
their  simple  farmer's  garb,  with  no  gaudy  uniforms,  no  tinsel, 
no  flags,  no  bunting,  no  swords,  no  pistols,  no  tents,  no  com- 
fortable hammocks  or  cots,  no  paraphernalia  whatever  of  mod- 
ern soldiery,  only  plain  farmers  with  a  few  covered  wagons, 
lying  with  their  heads  pillowed  on  their  saddles,  smoking  tran- 
quilly their  pipes  filled  with  good  wholesome  Transvaal  tobacco. 
There  they  lay,  talking  of  the  deeds  of  heroism  and  \-alor  per- 
formed by  their  fathers  in  the  long  ago.  when,  at  ^Nlajuba  Hill, 
at  Bronkhorst  Spruit  and  Lang's  Nek,  they  wrested  libertv 
from  the  grasping  hand  of  Great  Britain ;  and  after  talking  for 
some  time  over  their  hardships  and  sufferings,  one  would  lead 
in  prayer,  the  others  would  join  him,  and  they  would  offer  up 
their  prayers  to  God,  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  the 
God  of  Moses,  aye.  the  God  of  the  old  Boers,  the  God  of  Piet 
Retief  and  all  the  old  fathers  who  fought  and  died  to  lay  the 
foundation  stones  of  the  two  young  republics  which  they  and 
their  children  were  now  ready  to  fight  and  die  for.  And  then 
they  would  sing  the  psalms  which  were  dear  to  them,  and  I 
cannot  conceive  of  anything  more  pathetic  than  the  sweet  music 
that  was  wafted  out  on  the  night  winds  from  the  Boer  laagers 
as  those  plain,  God-fearing  farmers  sang  their  sweet  psalms 
and  songs,  usually  closing  their  devotions  with  this,  their  na- 
tional anthem : 


146 


John  Bull's  Crime 


What  realm  so  fair,  so  richl}'  fraught 

With  treasures  ever  new. 
Where  nature  hath  her  wonder  wrought, 

And  freely  spread  to  view ! 
Ho,  burghers  old !     Be  up  and  singing, 

God  save  the  folk  and  land. 
This,  burghers  new,  your  anthem  ringing 

O'er  veldt,  o'er  hill,  o'er  strand. 
And  burghers  all,  stand  ye  or  fall 

For  hearths  and  homes  at  country's  call. 

With  wisdom.  Lord,  our  rulers  guide, 

And  these.  Thy  people,  bless. 
May  we  with  nations  all  abide 

In  peace  and  righteousness. 
To    Thee,    whose   mighty   arm    hath    shielded 

Thy  folk  in  bygone  days. 
To  Thee  alone  be  humbly  yielded 

All  glory,  honor,  praise. 

God  guard  our  land. 

Our  own  dear  land. 
Our  children's  home,  tlieir  fatherland 


BOERS  ly  TRE.\'CHES  AT  MAFEKIXG. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Johannesburg,  the  centre  of  the  mining  region  of  the  Witwatersrand. 
Farewell  to  officials  at  Pretoria.  Citizens  of  the  little  republics  tear- 
fully implore  that  the  people  of  the  United  States  be  told  the  truth 
concerning  their  struggles  against  their  oppressors.  Macrum-Hay  in- 
cident. A  promise  to  do  all  possible  to  enlist  American  sympathy  for 
the  Boers.     Return  to  America.     Resignation  of  office. 

OX  my  return  to  Pretoria  from  the  visit  to  the  battle- 
fields and  camps  of  the  fighting  Boers,  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  meeting  United  States  Consul  Hay,  who 
had  just  arrived.  His  predecessor.  Consul  Macrum,  after 
having  made  his  complaint  to  his  government  that  his  mail  had 
been  opened  by  British  officials  through  whose  hands  it  had 
passed,  was  relieved  of  his  office  and  'Sir.  Hay  appointed  in  his 
place.  During  the  time  intervening  between  ]\Ir.  Macrum's 
dismissal  and  Mr.  Hay's  arrival.  'Sir.  W.  J.  Hollis,  United 
States  Consul  at  Lorenzo  Alarquez,  was  stationed  in  the  con- 
sulate at  Pretoria.  He  and  his  wife  were  very  popular  among 
the  residents  of  the  capital  city.  'Sir.  Hollis  was  just  and  fair 
to  all  persons  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  and  Sirs.  Hollis 
especially  endeared  herself  to  all  humanity-loving  people  by  her 
many  kind  acts  toward  those  in  distress.  Many  a  suffering 
man  and  woman  will  doubtless  long  remember  the  brief  sojourn 
of  this  generous,  noble-hearted  couple  in  their  countr}-.  Before 
Consul  Hay's  arrival  the  newspapers  contained  many  refer- 
ences to  his  alleged  conduct  in  England  while  he  was  on  his  way 
to  his  post  of  duty.  It  v.as  asserted  that  he  had  called  upon  the 
officials  of  the  British  government  in  order  to  get  his  instruc- 

147 


148  John  Bull's  Crime 

tions  as  to  what  he  should  do  when  he  arrived  in  South  Africa. 
It  w^as  also  claimed  that  he  had  been  wined  and  dined  by  the 
officials  in  London  who  were  responsible  for  the  war,  et  cetera. 
Because  of  these  stories  the  officials  of  the  South  African  Re- 
public were  about  determined  not  to  receive  Consul  Hay  as  a 
representative  of  the  United  States  government.  When  I  heard 
of  this  determination,  I  called  upon  Secretary  Reitz  immediately 
and  urged  him  to  receive  Consul  Hay  in  the  proper  manner  as 
the  representative  of  my  country.  I  said  that  Mr.  Hay  was  a 
young  man  and  I  believed  he  was  an  honest,  fair-minded  man, 
and  when  he  saw  the  actual  condition  of  things  in  Pretoria,  I 
felt  sure  his  demeanor  would  be  that  of  a  true  American.  After 
considerable  discussion  it  was  decided  to  receive  him  in  an  offi- 
cial capacity.  He  was  accordingly  given  a  most  cordial  recep- 
tion. Secretary  Reitz  gave  a  magnificent  dinner  in  his  honor, 
to  which  all  the  consuls  of  the  various  countries  represented  in 
Pretoria  were  invited  and  presented  to  Consul  Hay. 

Before  preparing  to  return  home  I  concluded  to  make  a  brief 
visit  to  the  City  of  Johannesburg,  the  center,  as  is  well  known, 
of  the  mining  region  of  the  Witwatersrand,  the  most  famous  as 
well  as  the  richest  mining  region  in  the  known  world.  The  city 
under  normal  conditions  had  a  population  of  about  fifty  thou- 
sand, but  at  the  time  of  my  visit  it  seemed  like  a  deserted  vil- 
lage. When  the  war  scare  first  came  on  the  people  of  that  city 
crowded  even  into  cattle  cars  like  so  many  cattle  in  their  efforts 
to  get  away. 

The  city  is  very  beautiful.  It  extends  over  an  area  of  about 
six  square  miles  and  has  over  eighty  miles  of  roads  and  streets, 
many  outlying  suburbs  having  been  created  for  the  benefit  of 
those  wdio  may  desire  to  live  a  little  way  from  the  center  of  the 
town.     Great  sums  of  money  have  been  expended  on  buildings 


The  Witwatersrand  149 

public  and  private.  And  this  is  the  more  remarkable  when  it  is 
remembered  that  the  cost  of  every  pound  weight  of  timber,  iron 
and  imported  building  materials  has  been  increased  considerably 
by  transport  and  by  customs  duties.  The  beauty  of  some  of  the 
shops  and  the  size  of  the  plate  glass  in  some  of  the  windows 
are  most  striking.  The  public  parks  and  gardens  are  exceed- 
ingly fine,  and  the  churches  and  schools  are  numerous  and  ex- 
tremely costlv.  In  fact  these  buildings,  as  well  as  the  public 
buildings  generally,  and  also  many  of  the  private  residences, 
would  compare  very  fax'orably  with  like  structures  in  any  city 
in  the  United  States  or  in  any  other  part  of  the  world. 

Our  own  government  was  represented  there  by  an  exceed- 
ingly pleasant  gentleman  by  the  name  of  W.  D.  Gordon. 

On  my  return  to  Pretoria  it  became  necessary  for  me  to  take 
leave  of  the  officials  and  people  ^vho  had  treated  me  so  kindly 
during  mv  l)rief  stay  aiuong  them,  in  order  to  hasten  to  Lorenzo 
Marquez  to  catch  the  German  steamer  Kansler,  which  was 
about  to  sail  for  Naples.  When  it  came  to  saying  farewell,  it 
was  like  taking  leave  of  people  whom  I  had  always  known.  At 
ten  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  day  when  our  train  left  Preto- 
ria some  two  thousand  people,  men,  women  and  children,  were 
gathered  to  see  me  off.  Many  of  the  women  and  children  were 
of  families  whose  husbands  and  fathers  had  shared  with  me  their 
food  and  their  blankets  in  camp  on  the  Tugela  River  and  in  the 
vicinity  of  Ladysmith — some  of  them  I  had  seen  dying  in  the 
hospitals,  and  some  of  them  I  had  helped  to  bury  on  the  battle- 
fields— and  when  these  wives  and  mothers  and  children  came  to 
me  with  tearful  eyes  to  say  good-bye  and  asked  me  to  tell  the 
American  people  when  I  got  home  just  what  I  had  seen  in  South 
Africa,  to  tell  the  people  of  my  grand  republic  how  the  people  of 
their  little  republic  were  suffering  and  dying  for  their  rights,  I 


i^o  John  Bull's  Crime 

could  not  keep  from  saying  that  if  God  would  spare  me  to  return 
to  the  land  I  love  I  would  do  everything  in  my  power  to  arouse 
the  American  government  and  the  American  people  to  sympa- 
thize with  the  Boer  patriots,  and  to  assist  them  in  every  way  to 
save  their  liberties. 

Standing  on  the  platform  of  the  car  as  the  train  departed 
from  the  station,  my  heart  ached  in  sympathy  with  those  people, 
and  as  my  train  sped  on,  through  my  tears  I  watched  the  neat 
cottage  homes,  the  majestic  public  buildings  and  the  tall  church 
spires  of  the  beautiful  capital  city  of  the  South  African  Repub- 
lic fade  away  from  sight  forever..  And  I  wondered  if  the  God 
of  our  fathers,  He  who  controlleth  the  destinies  of  nations,  and 
who  holdeth  the  fate  of  the  people  in  the  hollow  of  His  hands, 
the  God  of  the  Boers,  the  God  of  Majuba  Hill,  of  Spion's  Kop, 
the  God  of  Bunker  *Hill  and  of  Yorktown,  would  not  surely  in 
His  own  good  time  save  the  two  little  South  African  republics 
as  a  bright  oasis  in  the  great  South  African  desert  of  tyranny 
and  oppression. 

Boarding  the  steamer  Kansler  at  Lorenzo  Marquez.  we 
started  for  Naples,  touching  at  Biera,  Mozaml^ifjue,  Madagas- 
car, Zanzibar,  Aden,  Suez  and  Port  Said. 

At  Naples  we  changed  to  the  steamer  Aller,  and  landed  at 
New  York  April  ist,  1900. 

There  I  was  besieged  by  newspaper  men  seeking  interviews, 
but  I  carefully  refrained  from  giving  any  expression  of  my 
views  until  I  had  first  reported  to  my  superior  in  Washington. 

After  learning  the  actual  state  of  affairs  in  the  capital  city, 
I  concluded  to  lay  aside  all  political  prospects  and  all  personal 
ambitions  and  follow  the  dictates  of  a  conscience  that  never  yet 
had  betrayed  me,  and  tendered  my  resignation  as  Assistant  Sec- 
retary of  the  Interior  in  order  that  I  might  say  or  write  what  [ 


' 


The  Witwatersrand 


1  CI 


pleased  in  behalf  of  the  Boers  without  reward  of  any  kmd  what- 
soever. It  became  with  me  purely  a  matter  of  heart  and  con- 
science, and  a  perfect  knowledge  of  being  in  the  right.  Hence 
I  determined  to  stand  up  for  the  Boers  and  do  everything  in  my 
power  for  them  until  the  end  of  the  struggle,  even  though  I 
were  the  only  man  in  America  that  dared  to  do  so. 


BOEK  FATHER  AXl)  TWO  SUXS—SCOUTS. 


CHAPTER  XL 

Orations  at  Washington,   Philadelphia,   New  York,   Kansas   City    (before 
National  Democratic  Convention),  St.  Louis  and  Omaha. 

IMMEDIATELY  after  my  resignation  was  accepted,  a  com- 
mittee of  citizens  of  Washington,  D.  C,  waited  upon  me 
and  extended  an  invitation  to  address  a  mass  meeting  in 
the  Grand  Opera  House  on  the  evening  of  April  8th,  subject 
"  The  Boers  of  South  Africa."  I  accepted  the  invitation,  and 
the  address  as  dehvered  will  appear  in  full  in  the  following 
pages.  Within  a  few  days  after  the  delivery  of  this  address,  in- 
vitations were  received  from  every  State  in  the  Union  to  ad- 
dress mass  meetings  in  behalf  of  the  Boers.  I  accepted  more 
than  tw^o  hundred  of  these  invitations,  and  was  everywhere 
greeted  by  large  audiences  who  were  very  enthusiastic  in  their 
sympathy  for  the  struggling  Boers  of  the  two  South  African 
republics.  Extracts  from  a  few  of  these  addresses  will  follow. 
The  following  is  the  address  delivered  at  the  capital  city : 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen — The  Boers  of  South  Africa  are 
among  the  pioneers  of  freedom — heroes  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty.  They  were  the  torchbearers  who  blazed  the  pathway 
for  civilization  through  the  primeval  forests  of  the  southern 
part  of  the  great  "  dark  continent  "  which  has  been  the  marvel 
of  the  ages.  No  country  in  all  the  world  contains  a  nobler  race 
of  men  and  women.  The  descendants  of  the  pious  Huguenots, 
who  were  the  victims  of  the  Revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes, 
the  cream  of  France,  who  were  obliged  to  flee  from  their  coun- 

152 


Orations  153 

try  in  1 685,  in  order  that  Madame  de  Maintenon  might  become 
the  wife  of  a  king.  The  descendants,  too,  of  the  heroic  Nether- 
landers,  who,  under  Wihiam  the  Silent,  wrested  the  independ- 
ence of  Holland  from  the  hand  of  the  Spanish  tyrant.  No  peo- 
ple in  all  the  world's  history  have  made  a  more  valiant  effort  to 
secure  liberty  for  future  peoples  than  they.  And  no  people  have 
endured  more  hardships  in  the  cause  of  liberty  and  equality  of 
rights  than  they.  Indeed,  it  was  and  is  their  unconquerable 
love  for  liberty  that  has  caused  all  their  troubles.  Of  course, 
they  are  stubborn  and  strong.  Otherwise,  how  could  they  have 
done  so  much  ?  A  giant  race  of  men  and  women,  accustomed  to 
lirtrdships  and  toil,  of  heroic  statures  and  l)road  shoulders,  with 
clear  eyes,  strong  brains  and  noble  hearts,  these  plain,  common 
people  of  the  mountain  and  veldt  have  struggled  together  in  a 
common  cause.  In  the  hard  school  of  experience  they  received 
tlieir  only  education.  In  the  Holy  Bible  they  received  that  in- 
struction and  consolation  from  the  God  they  love  that  guided 
them  through  the  trials  and  tribulations  of  the  centuries,  and 
that  made  them  courageous  and  strong  enough  to  be  able  to 
defy  the  nefarious  tricks  and  schemes  of  greedy,  selfish,  grasp- 
ing millions  of  their  fellow  men,  and  to  combat  successfully  with 
the  wild  beasts  and  ferocious  savages,  as  they  trekked  through 
tlie  African  wildernesses  hitherto  untrodden  by  the  foot  of  the 
white  man.  The  pioneers  abandoned  their  homes,  sacrificed 
whatever  of  property  they  could  not  carr}-  with  them,  and  leav- 
ing the  fatherland  many  years  ago,  settled  in  the  fertile  valleys 
of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  There  they  planted  the  seed  of 
liberty  which  they  hoped  would  eventually  develop  into  a  great 
tree  that  would  spread  all  over  that  beautiful  countr}^  and  fur- 
nish a  delightful  home  to  every  worthy,  deserving  pilgrim  who 
nsight  seek  a  resting  place  beneath  its  peaceful  branches.     In 


154  John  Bull's  Crime 

spite  of  the  oppressive  bonds  of  the  East  India  Company,  that 
young  settlement,  comprising  all  that  was  noble  in  the  blood 
and  all  that  was  exalted  in  the  aspirations  of  ancient  Europe, 
grew  and  flourished  with  such  vigor  that  when  the  colony 
passed  into  the  hands  of  England,  in  1806,  a  strong  national 
spirit  and  local  patriotism  had  already  developed  itself.  In 
fact,  there  grew  up  out  of  the  two  races  of  Hollanders  and 
French  Huguenots  one  people,  one  in  faith,  one  in  tranquil 
respect  for  the  law,  and  with  a  feeling  of  liberty  and  independ- 
ence as  great  as  the  veldt  was  wide  and  broad,  which  they  had 
by  degrees  recovered  from  the  wilderness  of  nature  or  the 
v/ilder  natives.  It  was  against  the  wish  of  the  people  of  the 
infant  colony  that  they  passed  under  the  control  of  the  English 
government,  and  very  soon  thereafter  their  Afrikander  spirit 
was  seriously  wounded  by  the  British  government  taking  sides 
with  the  natives  as  against  the  colonists  in  many  ways.  The 
farmers  were  deprived  of  their  guns  and  ammunition,  and  as  a 
result,  in  a  short  time  their  cattle  were  stolen  and  their  homes 
destroyed  by  the  savages.  The  British  government  organized 
their  police  force  by  the  appointment  of  Hottentots,  the  most 
contemptible  of  the  natives,  to  the  positions  of  policemen.  This 
action  infuriated  the  Boers,  for  they  regarded  the  Hottentots  as 
much  lower  than  themselves  in  the  social  scale.  As  a  result  a 
part  of  the  Boers  revolted  in  the  year  181 5  and  six  of  them  were 
tortured  in  a  most  horrible  manner  by  the  British  at  Slaghter's 
Nek.  In  the  presence  of  their  wives  and  children,  who  were 
compelled  to  be  present,  the  poor,  unfortunate  Boers  w^ere  first 
inhumanly  half  hanged,  and  when  the  scaffold  broke,  they  were 
again  hoisted  in  a  dying  state  and  strangled  to  death.  Such 
was  the  conduct  then  of  the  representatives  of  that  great  nation 
that  now  boasts  of  its  humanity  and  civilization,  and  which  is 


Orations  155 

wont  to  refer  to  the  Boers  as  uncouth  savages  feeding  upon 
meahes  and  wild  bok,  and  who  are  unfit  for  the  sohition  of  the 
great  problem  of  civiHzation  that  belongs  to  the  most  refined  and 
a?sthetic  nations.  That  tragedy  was  the  first  blood  beacon 
raised  to  mark  the  division  line  between  Boer  and  Briton  in 
South  Africa,  and  it  will  ever  remain  a  dark  spot  upon  the  pages 
of  British  history,  a  marker  as  it  w^ere  for  cruelty,  injustice  and 
dishonor.  After  that  event  the  next  step  taken  by  the  British 
government  was  to  send  missionaries  from  England  to  visit  the 
natives  of  South  Africa  who  were  to  send  back  to  England  the 
most  slanderous  stories  about  alleged  monstrous  cruelties  of  the 
Boers  toward  the  natives.  These  stories  were  read  in  Eng-land 
and  caused  philanthropic  people  everywhere  to  heap  abuse  and 
calumny  upon  the  heads  of  the  Boers,  and  they  were  subjected 
lo  all  kinds  of  insults  and  accusations  before  the  criminal  courts. 
Some  of  these  missionaries  had  married  black  women,  as  in  the 
case  of  Dr.  Vanderkemp. 

But  the  Boers  stood  the  test  magnificently,  for  a  perusal  of 
the  court  records  will  show  that  no  people  exist  in  the  whole 
world  who  are  more  just,  humane  and  kind-hearted  than  the 
Boers  of  South  Africa.  It  is  true  that  slaverv  did  once  exist 
in  South  Africa,  but  those  slaves  to  a  large  extent  were  sold  to 
the  Boers  by  Englishmen.  But  the  fact  that  the  Boers  once 
owned  slaves  is  not  very  extraordinary,  for  slavery  has  existed 
in  many  parts  of  the  world,  among  nations  that  boast  of  their 
civilization  and  humanity.  To-day  the  Boers  do  not  believe  in 
slavery,  yet  they  do  not  think  that  the  British  government 
treated  them  in  an  honorable  and  just  manner  in  the  way  in 
which  the  emancipation  of  the  slaves  was  applied  to  them. 
About  six  million  dollars  was  set  aside  by  the  British  govern- 
ment for  compensation  to  the  slave  owners  when  their  slaves 


156  John  Bull's  Crime 

had  been  valued  by  British  officials  themselves  at  fifteen  million 
dollars.  This  money  was  made  payable  in  London,  and  as  the 
Boers  could  not  go  there  themselves  they  were  compelled  to  sell 
their  rights  to  English  agents  at  a  great  discount.  And  the 
small  sum  which  they  e\'entually  received  for  their  slaves  was  so 
delayed  in  reaching  the  owners  that  man}-  men  and  women  who 
were  once  living  in  plenty  actually  died  in  poverty  and  want. 
This  treatment  at  the  hands  of  the  British  government  sank 
deeply  into  the  hearts  of  the  Afrikanders  and  has  never  been 
forgotten,  for.  instead  of  emancipation,  it  amounted  almost  to 
confiscation.  Fronde,  the  English  historian,  acknowledged 
this  injustice  when  he  wrote :  "  W'e  have  treated  the  Boers  un- 
fairly as  well  as  unwisely,  and  we  never  forgive  those  whom  we 
have  injured." 

But  this  was  not  all.  At  the  time  Cape  Colony  became  a 
British  possession  its  eastern  border  was  the  Fish  River.  The 
Kaffirs  had  frequently  made  inroads  into  the  colony,  had  robbed 
and  murdered  the  colonists,  burned  their  homes  and  driven  off 
their  cattle.  Finally  the  British  governor  was  compelled  to 
expel  the  Kaffirs  by  the  aid  of  the  Boers.  But  Lord  Glenelg, 
the  Secretary  for  the  Colonies  in  England,  in  return  for  this  as- 
sistance, gave  back  the  wliole  district  to  the  Kaffirs  and  maligned 
the  Boers  as  badly  as  the  irresponsible  London  missionaries  had 
done.  Thus  the  British  government  took  the  side  of  the  sav- 
ages as  against  the  Boers,  who  had  recaptured  their  cattle  which 
the  savages  had  stolen  from  them.  But  after  all  this  the  patient 
Boers  were  compelled  to  suffer  tb.e  unheard  of  humiliation  of 
seeing  their  own  cattle,  bearing  their  own  brands,  which  had 
been  stolen  from  them  by  the  savages,  sold  by  British  officials 
at  public  auction  in  order  to  cover  the  expenses  of  the  expedi- 
tion to  expel  the  savages  from  British  territory.     Thus  were  the 


Orations  157 

Boers  oppressed  and  their  rights  violated  as  regards  their  rela- 
tions with  the  natives.  Petitions  to  the  British  government  ii; 
their  native  language  complaining  of  these  bitter  grievance.' 
were  not  even  received. 

In  addition  to  these  insults  and  abuses  the  British  govern- 
ment took  away  from  the  Boers  their  right  to  the  use  of  their 
own  nati\-e  language,  which  had  been  guaranteed  them  when  the 
Cape  passed  into  British  hands,  and  thenceforth  the  English  lan- 
guage must  be  used.  It  is  difficult  to  understand  why  the  Brit- 
ish government  should  treat  this  simple  pastoral  people  so  dif- 
ferently from  the  people  in  other  parts  of  the  British  Empire, 
as,  for  instance,  the  Scotchmen,  Welshmen  and  French  Cana- 
dians are  permitted  the  use  of  their  own  language.  The  Boers 
were  even  excluded  from  juries  because  their  knowledge  of  the 
English  was  too  defective,  and  they  were  compelled  to  appear 
before  English  juries  with  whom  they  had  nothing  in  common. 
In  addition  to  all  these,  the  Boers  had  to  endure  the  alteration 
Oi  their  system  of  land  tenure,  the  redemption  of  their  paper 
currency  at  only  thirty-six  hundredths  of  its  nominal  value,  and 
the  abolition  of  the  Courts  of  Landdrost  and  Heemaraden 
which  were  so  dear  to  them.  Thus,  after  thirty  years  of  Brit- 
ish government  by  military  and  civil  officials  who  did  not  under- 
stand the  people  or  their  language,  and  who  treated  them  with 
harshness  and  contempt,  after  thirty  years  of  malicious  hatred 
and  singular  abuse  and  insults,  after  thirty  years  of  dishonor 
and  injustice  as  black  and  damnable  as  appears  on  any  page  in 
the  history  of  any  people  of  any  land  in  the  annals  of  time,  after 
thirty  years  of  insecurity  of  life  and  property,  of  robbery  and 
murder,  of  oppression  and  tyranny,  the  brave  little  band  of 
liberty-loving,  God-fearing  Boers,  gathering  their  wives  and 
.children  about  them,  trekked  again  to  the  northward,  beyond 


158  John  Bull's  Crime 

the  Orange  River,  and  preferring  the  dangers  of  the  wilderness 
to  the  hardships  of  British  tyranny,  purchased  from  the  Kaffirs 
a  stretch  of  land,  and  there  resolved  to  establish  an  independent 
state.  Like  the  followers  of  Abraham  and  Aloses  in  the  long 
ago,  they  left  everything  behind  and  went  out  into  the  great  un- 
known. Their  history  surpasses  all  fiction  in  its  vicissitudes, 
successes  and  tragedies.  They  fought  and  worked  and  starved 
and  died  for  their  land  of  promise,  that  land  where  they  might 
hope  to  live  alone,  where  they  might  build  homes  for  their  loved 
ones,  where  they  might  enjoy  all  the  blessings  of  civil  and  re- 
ligious freedom,  where  the  old  father  and  mother  might  in 
after  years  sit  on  the  porch  of  the  old  farmhouse  and  look  out 
over  their  green  fields,  blossoming  orchards  and  herds  of  cattle 
grazing  on  the  broad  veldt,  while  in  the  distance  rise  the  blue 
mountains  looking  like  sentinels  grim  and  bold  as  behind  them 
Afric's  sun  sinks  peacefully  to  rest.  In  the  English  historian 
Theal's  history  of  South  Africa  we  find  a  declaration  of  Piet 
Retief.  one  of  the  ablest  of  the  Boer  leaders,  who  led  the  people 
out  of  Cape  Colony  into  the  country  beyond  the  Orange  and 
Vaal  Rivers,  which  assigns  their  motives  as  follows : 

"  First,  we  despair  of  saving  the  colony  from  those  evils 
which  threaten  it  l)y  the  turbulent  and  dishonest  conduct  of 
vagrants  who  are  allowed  to  infest  the  country  in  every  part, 
nor  do  we  see  any  prospect  of  peace  or  happiness  for  our  chil- 
dren in  a  country  thus  distracted  by  internal  commotions. 

"  Second,  we  complain  of  the  severe  losses  which  we  have 
been  forced  to  sustain  by  the  emancipation  of  our  slaves  and 
the  vexatious  laws  which  have  been  enacted  respecting  them. 

"  Third,  we  complain  of  the  continued  system  of  plunder 
which  we  have  for  years  endured  from  the  Kaffirs  and  other 


! 


Orations  159 

colored  classes,  and  particularly  by  the  last  invasion  of  the 
colony,  which  has  desolated  the  frontier  districts  and  ruined 
most  of  the  inhabitants. 

"  Fourth,  we  complain  of  the  unjustifiable  odium  which  has 
been  cast  upon  us  by  interested  and  dishonest  persons  under  the 
name  of  religion,  whose  testimony  is  believed  in  England  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  evidence  in  our  favor,  and  we  can  foresee  as  the 
result  of  this  prejudice  nothing  but  the  total  ruin  of  the  country. 

"  Fifth,  we  are  resolved  wherever  we  go  that  we  will  uphold 
the  just  principles  of  liberty.  But,  whilst  we  will  take  care 
that  no  one  is  brought  by  us  into  a  condition  of  slavery,  we  will 
establish  such  regulations  as  may  suppress  crime  and  preserve 
proper  relations  between  master  and  servant. 

"  Sixth,  we  solemnly  declare  that  we  leave  this  colony  with 
a  desire  to  enjoy  a  quieter  life  than  we  have  hitherto  had.  We 
will  not  molest  any  people  nor  deprive  them  of  the  smallest 
property,  but,  if  attacked,  we  shall  consider  ourselves  fully  justi- 
fied in  defending  our  persons  and  effects  to  the  utmost  of  our 
ability  against  every  enemy. 

'*  Seventh,  we  make  known  that  when  we  shall  have  framed  a 
code  of  laws  for  our  guidance,  copies  shall  be  forwarded  to  this 
colony  for  general  information,  but  we  take  the  opportunity  of 
stating  that  it  is  our  firm  resolve  to  make  provision  for  the  sum- 
mary punishment,  even  with  death,  of  all  traitors  without  ex- 
ception who  may  be  found  amongst  us. 

'*  Eighth,  we  purpose,  in  the  course  of  our  journey  and  on 
arrival  at  the  country  in  which  we  shall  permanently  reside,  to 
make  known  to  the  native  tribes  our  intentions  and  our  desires 
to  live  in  peace  and  friendly  intercourse  with  them. 

"  Xinth,  we  quit  this  colony  under  the  full  assurance  that  the 
English  government  has  nothing  more  to  require  of  us  and 


i6o  John  Bull's  Crime 

will  allow  us  to  govern  ourselves  without  its  interference  in 
future. 

"  Tenth,  we  are  now  leaving  the  fruitful  land  of  our  birth  in 
which  we  have  suffered  enormous  losses  and  continued  vexation 
and  are  about  to  enter  a  strange  and  dangerous  territory,  but  we 
go  with  a  firm  reliance  on  an  all-seeing,  just  and  merciful  God, 
whom  we  shall  always  fear  and  humbly  endeavor  to  obey. 

'*  In  the  name  of  all  who  leave  the  colony  with  me. 

Signed,  "  P.  Retief/' 

Certainly  this  does  not  indicate  that  the  author  of  such  a 
document  and  his  followers  were  savages,  as  the  British  govern- 
ment would  have  us  believe.  Thus  the  pioneers  went  into 
an  unknown  land.  But  they  went  as  free  men  and  women, 
subjects  of  no  earthly  monarch.  Then  began  what  the  English 
member  of  parliament,  Molesworth,  has  styled  a  "  strange 
persecution, — that  of  the  trekking  Boer  pursued  by  the  British 
colonial  office,  the  strangest  persecution  ever  seen  by 
mortals."  The  world  will  never  know  the  full  extent  of  their 
sufferings  and  hardships.  Of  one  party,  consisting  of  ninety- 
eight  persons,  twenty-six  only  survived — three  w'omen,  their 
twelve  children,  seven  orphan  children,  and  four  youths,  one  of 
whom  is  now^  Colonel  Trichardt,  commander  of  the  Boer  ar- 
tillery forces,  whom  I  met  near  Ladysmith.  Not  a  single  grown 
man  of  that  expedition  survived.  Another  party  led  by  the 
brave  Piet  Retief  met  with  a  similar  fate.  Finally  the  Boers 
triumphed  o\'er  the  treacherous  natives  and  founded  the  Repub- 
lic of  Natal.  As  soon,  however,  as  this  young  republic  was 
found  to  be  a  land  of  glorious  promise,  the  British  government 
annexed  it,  and  again  the  Boers  were  driven  over  the  mountains, 
the  Boer  women  even  declaring  that  rather  than  submit  to 


Orations  i6i 

British  authority  they  would  walk  barefoot  over  the  Drakens- 
berg  ^Mountains  to  freedom  or  to  death.  Then  in  the  territory 
known  as  the  Orange  Free  State  war  broke  out  between  the 
Boers  and  Moshesh.  the  great  Chief  of  the  Basutos.  And  after 
the  sa^•age  natives  had  murdered  the  women  and  children,  stolen 
the  cattle,  burned  the  homes  and  spread  devastation  and  violence 
ever3'where,  then  it  was  that  the  British  interfered  in  favor  of 
the  Basutos,  and  this,  too,  after  they  had  faithfully  promised 
not  to  interfere  in  the  struggles  of  the  Boers  against  the  sav- 
ages. And  this  interference  occurred,  too,  after  the  Boers  had 
once  saved  a  body  of  British  soldiers  from  being  annihilated  by 
the  Basutos.  But  the  real  cause  for  the  British  thus  taking 
sides  with  the  natives  is  in  the  fact  that  diamonds  had  been  dis- 
covered in  this  country  of  the  Boers. 

One  day  a  young  negro  working  on  a  farm  between  the 
Orange  and  Vaal  rivers  found  a  little  white  stone  which  he 
showed  to  a  tra^'eler  who  was  passing  through  the  country. 
The  traveler  bought  the  stone  for  a  trifle  and  sold  it  again  for 
twenty-five  hundred  dollars.  That  was  the  first  diamond  dis- 
covered at  Kimberley.  From  that  moment  the  British  govern- 
ment was  determined  to  possess  the  richest  diamond  mines  in 
the  world.  Under  the  cloak  of  hypocrisy  the  plea  was  resorted 
to  that  the  ground  belonged  to  a  native.  Yet  this  assertion  was 
proved  and  adjudged  to  be  false,  even  in  the  British  law  courts. 
Afterwards,  when  the  President  of  the  Orange  Free  State  went 
to  England,  the  government  acknowledged  the  wrong,  but 
nevertheless  compelled  the  President  to  accept  the  paltry  sum  of 
ninety  thousand  pounds  sterling  as  compensation  for  diamond 
fields  that  have  yielded  in  twenty  years  nearly  fifty  million 
pounds  sterling.  For  cupidity,  dishonor  and  injustice,  .that 
transaction  on  the  part  of  Great  Britain  stands  without  a  par- 


1 62  John  Bull's  Crime 

allel  in  the  history  of  civihzed  or  uncivilized  nations.  Another 
breach  of  the  contract  made  with  the  colonists  of  the  Orange 
Free  State  was  in  the  British  government  permitting  four  hun- 
dred thousand  guns  to  l^e  shipped  from  Cape  Colony  to  Kim- 
berley  and  sold  to  the  natives  over  the  protest  of  the  Boers,  both 
of  the  Orange  Free  State  and  of  the  Transvaal.  And  when 
some  of  the  wagons  containing  guns  were  seized  by  the  Boers 
they  were  forced  to  give  compensation  to  the  British  govern- 
ment. This  was  another  evidence  of  the  alleged  humanity  and 
civilization  of  the  British  government. 

After  the  annexation  of  the  Republic  of  Natal  by  the  British 
government  some  of  the  Boers  crossed  the  Vaal  River  and  lo- 
cated in  a  new  country  which  they  called  the  Transvaal  or  South 
African  Republic.  This  they  did  after  indescribable  struggles 
and  hardships  with  wild  beasts  and  savages.  In  a  short  time 
thereafter,  on  account  of  the  belief  on  the  part  of  the  British 
government  that  the  Boers  would  in  a  short  time  be  extirpated 
by  the  savages,  a  treaty  of  peace  and  friendship  was  entered  into 
between  the  British  government  and  the  Boers  called  the  Sand 
River  convention,  which  was  : 

"  First,  that  the  assistant  commissioners  guarantee  in  the  full- 
est manner,  on  the  part  of  the  British  government,  to  the  emi- 
grant farmers  beyond  the  Vaal  River,  the  right  to  manage  their 
own  affairs  and  to  govern  themselves  according  to  their  own 
laws  without  any  interference  on  the  part  of  the  British  govern- 
ment, and  that  no  encroachment  shall  be  made  by  the  said  gov- 
ernment on  the  territory  beyond  to  the  north  of  the  Vaal  River, 
with  the  further  assurance  that  the  warmest  wish  of  the  British 
government  is  to  promote  peace,  free  trade  and  friendly  inter- 
course with  the  emigrant  farmers  now  inhabiting,  or  who  may 


PRESIDEXT  KRUGER  OX  THE  EURCH  OE  HIS  COTTAGE. 


Orations  163 

hereafter  inhabit,  that  country,  it  being  understood  that  this  sys- 
tem of  non-interference  is  binding-  upon  both  parties. 

"  Second,  that  should  any  misunderstanding  hereafter  arise 
as  to  the  true  meaning  of  the  words,  '  the  Vaal  River,'  this  ques- 
tion, in  so  far  as  regards  the  hne  from  the  source  of  that  river 
over  the  Drakensberg,  shah  be  settled  and  adjusted  by  commis- 
sioners chosen  by  both  parties. 

"  Third,  that  Her  Majesty's  assistant  commissioners  hereby 
disclaim  all  alliance  whatever  and  with  whomsoever  of  the  col- 
ored nations  to  the  north  of  the  Vaal  River. 

"  Fourth,  it  is  agreed  that  no  slavery  is  or  shall  be  permitted 
or  practised  in  the  country  to  the  north  of  the  \^aal  River  by  the 
emigrant  farmers. 

"  Fifth,  mutual  facilities  and  liberty  shall  be  afforded  to  trad- 
ers and  travelers  on  botli  sides  of  the  Vaal  River,  it  being  un- 
derstood that  every  wagon  containing  ammunition  and  fire- 
arms coming  from  the  south  side  of  the  Vaal  River  shall  pro- 
duce a  certificate  signed  by  a  British  magistrate  or  other  func- 
tionary duly  authorized  to  grant  such,  and  which  shall  state  the 
quantities  of  such  articles  contained  in  said  wagon,  to  the  near- 
est magistrate  north  of  the  Vaal  River,  who  shall  act  in  the 
case  as  the  regulations  of  the  emigrant  farmers  direct. 

'*  Sixth,  it  is  agreed  that  no  objection  shall  be  made  by  any 
British  authority  against  the  emigrant  Boers  purchasing  their 
supplies  of  ammunition  in  any  of  the  British  colonies  and  pos- 
sessions of  South  Africa,  it  being  mutually  understood  that  all 
trade  in  ammunition  with  the  native  tribes  is  prohibited  both  by 
the  British  government  and  the  emigrant  farmers  on  both 
sides  of  the  Vaal  River. 

"  Seventh,  it  is  agreed  that,  so  far  as  possible,  all  criminals 
and  other  guilty  parties  who  may  fiy  from  justice  either  w^ay 


164  John  Bull's  Crime 

across  the  Vaal  River  shall  be  mutually  delivered  up,  if  such 
should  be  required,  and  that  the  British  courts  as  well  as  those 
of  the  emigrant  farmers  shall  be  mutually  open  to  each  other 
for  all  legitimate  processes,  and  that  summonses  for  witnesses 
sent  either  way  across  the  Vaal  River  shall  "be  backed  by  the 
magistrates  on  either  side  of  the  same  respectively  to  compel  the 
attendance  of  such  witnesses  when  required. 

"  Eighth,  it  is  agreed  that  certificates  of  marriage  issued  by 
the  proper  authorities  of  the  emigrant  farmers  shall  be  held  valid 
and  sufiicient  to  entitle  children  of  such  marriages  to  receive  por- 
tions accruing  to  them  in  any  British  colony  or  possession  in 
South  Africa. 

"  Ninth,  it  is  agreed  that  any  and  every  person  now  in  posses- 
sion of  land  and  residing  in  British  territory  shall  have  free 
right  and  power  to  sell  his  said  property  and  remove  unmolested 
across  the  Vaal  River,  and  vice  versa;  it  being  distinctly  under- 
stood that  this  arrangement  does  not  comprehend  criminals  or 
debtors  without  providing  for  the  payment  of  their  just  and 
lawful  debts." 

This  convention  or  treaty  was  approved  by  the  British  colo- 
nial secretary  on  June  24th,  1852.  It  was  also,  in  a  short  time 
thereafter,  recognized  by  Holland,  France.  Germany  and  Bel- 
gium. It  was  especially  recognized  by  the  United  States  of 
America.  The  Secretary  of  State  for  America  wrote  from 
Washington,  November  19th,  1870,  to  the  President  of  the 
South  African  Republic  that  "  the  government  of  the  United 
States  heartily  recognizes  the  sovereignty  of  the  Transvaal  Re- 
public and  is  prepared  to  take  any  measure  which  may  thereby  be 
rendered  necessary."  But  England's  undying  love  for  territory 
soon  brought  about  the  annexation  of  the  Transvaal.    The  per- 


Orations  165 

secution  of  the  Boers  was  to  continue  until  not  a  foot  of  the  ter- 
ritory would  be  left  free  from  English  rule.  On  April  12,  1877, 
the  Transvaal  was  annexed  against  the  almost  unanimous  pro- 
test of  the  Boers.  Gladstone,  the  greatest  statesman  produced 
in  England  for  a  century,  expressed  his  sorrow  at  that  and  ac- 
knowledged that,  in  the  Transvaal,  "  England  was  placed  in  the 
position  of  the  free  subjects  of  a  kingdom  coercing  the  free  sub- 
jects of  a  republic  to  accept  a  citizenship  to  which  they  were 
averse."  In  his  birthday  speech  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  Decem- 
ber, 1879,  he  said  :  "  We  have  undertaken  to  govern  despotically 
two  bodies  of  human  beings  who  never  were  under  our  despotic 
power  before,  and  one  of  them  was  in  the  enjoyment  of 
freedom  before.  We  have  gone  into  the  Transvaal  territory, 
v;here  it  appears — the  statement  has  not  been  contradicted — 
that  there  were  eight  thousand  persons  in  a  condition  of  self- 
government  under  a  republican  form.  Lord  Carnarvon  an- 
nounced, as  Secretary  of  State,  that  he  was  desirous  of  annex- 
ing their  own  territory  if  they  were  willing.  They  replied  by 
signing  to  the  number  of  six  thousand  five  hundred  out  of  eight 
thousand  a  protest  against  the  assumption  of  sovereignty  over 
them.  We  have  what  you  call  '  annexed  '  that  territory.  I 
need  not  tell  you  there  are  and  can  be  no  free  institutions  in  such 
a  country  as  that.  The  utmost.  I  suppose,  that  could  be  done 
was  to  name  three  or  four  or  half  a  dozen  persons  to  assist  the 
Governor.  But  how  are  they  chosen?  I  apprehend  not  out  of 
the  six  thousand  five  hundred,  but  they  are  chosen  out  of  the 
small  minority  who  were  not  opposed  to  being  annexed.  Is  it 
not  wonderful  to  those  who  are  freemen,  and  whose  fathers  had 
been  freemen,  and  who  hope  that  their  children  will  be  freemen. 
and  w^ho  consider  that  freedom  is  an  essential  condition  of  civil 
life,  and  that  without  it  you  can  have  nothing  great  and  nothing 


1 66  John  Bull's  Crime 

noble  in  political  society,  that  we  are  led  by  an  administration, 
and  led.  I  admit,  by  parliament,  to  find  ourselves  in  this  posi- 
tion, that  we  are  to  march  upon  another  body  of  freemen,  and 
against  their  will  to  subject  them  to  despotic  government?  " 

But  the  Boers,  determining  to  have  liberty  and  independence, 
or  death,  took  up  arms  again  in  1880,  and  at  Bronkhorst  Spruit 
and  Lang's  Nek,  at  Ingogo  and  Majuba  Hill,  they  defeated  the 
British  troops,  though  far  outnumbered  by  them,  and  compelled 
Great  Britain  to  acknowledge  their  independence.  A  peace  treaty 
was  again  signed  in  March,  1881,  which  gave  the  Transvaal  ab- 
solute control  of  all  its  internal  affairs,  with  the  distinct  reserva- 
tion of  the  suzerainty,  which  was  to  the  effect  that  the  Transvaal 
should  not  make  treaties  with  foreign  countries  hostile  to  Brit- 
ish interests.  Should  it  do  so,  that  treaty  may  be  vetoed  by 
England  six  months  after  its  completion.  In  all  other  respects 
the  international  status  of  the  Transvaal  was  to  be  the  same  as 
the  Republic  of  the  United  States  of  America.  This  treaty, 
known  as  the  Pretoria  convention,  was,  however,  not  entirely 
satisfactory  to  the  Boers,  hence  they  soon  thereafter  sent  a  re- 
publican deputation  to  London  in  order  to  get  a  new  treaty 
which  should  give  them  better  terms.  This  resulted  in  the 
Transvaal  being  given  its  old  name  of  "  The  South  African  Re- 
public," and  the  suzerainty  clause,  which  was  so  much  objected 
to  in  former  treaties,  was  absolutely  eliminated.  After  this,  for 
more  than  a  decade  the  Boers  of  the  two  South  African  re- 
publics were  permitted  to  pursue  the  even  tenor  of  their  way 
unmolested  in  happiness  and  peace,  devoting  themselves  to  the 
upbuilding  and  development  of  their  country,  cultivating  their 
fertile  fields,  planting  and  harvesting  wheat,  corn  and  oats,  with 
orchards  and  gardens  wherein  all  the  fruits  and  vegetables  of  the 


Orations  1 67 

tropics  were  produced,  while  the  expansive  veldf  was  covered 
widi  their  herds  of  cattle  and  horses  and  flocks  of  goats  and 
sheep.  Cities,  with  all  the  modern  improvements,  sprang 
up  on  the  veldt  and  in  the  valleys  as  if  by  magic,  and 
everywhere  the  church  and  school  house  told  the  story  of 
the  people's  progress.  It  is  no  wonder  the  Boers  became 
intensely  proud  of  their  homes  in  the  Orange  Free  State  and 
the  Transvaal,  and  well  may  they  feel  that  pride,  for  they 
have  their  homes  in  one  of  the  grandest  belts  of  valley,  moun- 
tain and  plain  that  the  world  possesses,  \\4th  a  territory 
larger  than  England,  Scotland,  Ireland  and  Wales  com- 
bined, more  than  twice  as  large  as  France,  much  larger  than 
many  older  kingdoms,  empires  and  republics  that  have  filled  the 
world  with  the  story  of  their  prowess  and  grandeur,  with  moun- 
tain scenery  rivaling  the  splendor  of  the  Alps  and  the  Rockies, 
with  valleys  as  fertile  as  the  valley  of  the  Nile,  with  grazing 
lands  unsurpassed,  with  a  climate  that  is  the  clearest  and  most 
healthful  in  the  world,  with  flowers  and  birds  and  pure  air,  with 
building  stone  unlimited,  with  coal  and  iron  and  lead  and  cop- 
per and  salt  without  end,  together  with  diamonds  and  gold  un- 
equalled in  all  the  known  continents  of  the  universe,  with  a  peo- 
ple unsurpassed  in  strength  and  vigor,  men  and  women  who 
love  justice  and  right,  men  and  women  who  long  to  be  as  free  as 
the  mountain  air  they  breathe,  who  long  to  dwell  in  their  simple 
homes,  surrounded  by  their  children,  with  no  one  to  molest 
them  or  to  fill  them  with  fear.  In  the  light  of  the  past  history 
of  the  rise  and  fall  of  empires,  of  the  sad  wrecks  of  proud  and 
haughty  nations  who  hated  justice  and  honor  and  right,  but 
loved  tyranny,  oppression  and  wrong,  that  are  strewn  along  the 
pathway  of  the  centuries,  I  cannot  but  believe  that  God  has  in- 


1 68  John  Bull's  Crime 

tended  that  in  the  two  South  African  repiibhcs  liberty  and 
equality  of  rights  shall  prevail  and  the  rugged,  brave-hearted. 
God-fearing  Boers  shall  be  forever  free. 

But  finally  this  period  of  peace  and  rest  was  broken  by  the  dis- 
covery of  gold  in  the  Transvaal.  Then  it  was  that  the  British 
government  determined  to  secure  a  pretext  for  obtaining  con- 
trol of  the  richest  gold  fields  in  the  world,  as  it  had  before  se- 
cured the  richest  diamond  fields.  That  this  is  the  real  cause  for 
the  present  war  no  one  can  doubt  who  will  but  listen  to  the  fre- 
quent remark  made  by  Englishmen  in  South  Africa  as  well  as  in 
England,  that  "  the  gold  mines  in  the  Transvaal  are  worth  fight- 
ing for,  and  we  are  going  to  keep  on  fighting  until  we  get 
them."  But  the  British  love  for  gold  is  proverbial.  Wherever 
gold  has  been  discovered,  there  the  British  have  turned  a  wist- 
ful and  longing  eye.  When  gold  was  discovered  in  Alaska,  only 
a  few  years  ago,  it  will  be  remembered  how  quickly  an  effort 
was  made  to  extend  the  Canadian  line  far  enough  westward  to 
take  in  the  gold  fields.  And  no  doubt,  had  the  British  govern- 
ment not  been  anticipating  the  present  trouble  over  the  gold 
fields  in  the  Transvaal,  there  would  have  been  trouble  on  the 
part  of  the  United  States  government  in  keeping  control  of  the 
gold  fields  in  Alaska. 

The  first  sign  of  the  conspiracy  on  the  part  of  the  capitalists^ 
treaty  breakers  and  empire  builders  to  destroy  the  South  Afri- 
can Republic  was  the  Jameson  raid.  Arms  and  ammunition 
were  shipped  into  Johannesburg  concealed  in  machinery  and 
gold  mining  appliances  by  the  conspirators.  Arrangements  were 
then  made  with  Doctor  Jameson,  of  Rhodesia,  the  British  land 
to  the  north  of  the  Transvaal,  to  raise  a  force  of  fifteen  hundred 
men,  fully  equipped  with  rifles  and  Maxims.  He  was  then  to 
march  to  Johannesburg,  where  the  other  conspirators  were  to 


I 


Orations  169 

be  armed  with  five  thousand  rifles  and  a  milHon  rounds  of  am- 
munition. It  was  then  intended  to  march  to  Pretoria,  the  cap- 
ital, and  seize  the  forts  there,  wherein  it  was  supposed  that  ten 
thousand  rifles  and  tweh-e  mihion  rounds  of  ammunition  were 
stored.  It  is  not  necessary  to  go  into  details,  for  it  is  well 
known  that  the  conspiracy  failed.  Jameson  and  his  followers 
were  captured  by  the  Boers  and  handed  over  to  the  English  gov- 
ernment, and  the  capitalistic  co-conspirators  of  Johannesburg 
were  tried,  found  guilty  and  then  pardoned  by  the  government 
of  the  South  African  Republic.  The  Boers  treated  all  the  pris- 
oners with  the  greatest  consideration.  They  fed  the  starving- 
soldiers  who  had  come  into  their  country  to  ruin  them,  and  in 
every  way  acted  with  admirable  self-restraint  and  dignity  in 
a  position  such  as  very  few  are  called  upon  to  face.  When  the 
prisoners  were  being  tried  some  one  happened  to  bring  to  Pre- 
toria, as  a  relic  for  the  museum  there,  the  old  beam  of  wood  on 
which  the  six  Boer  martyrs  were  hung  at  Slaghter's  Nek  long 
years  ago,  and  some  one  suggested  revenge  by  hanging  the  pris- 
oners to  the  same  beam.  But  President  Kruger  severely  rep- 
rimanded him,  and  said :  "  We  are  not  a  barbarous  people,  but 
must  comply  with  the  law."  As  a  further  evidence  of  Presi- 
dent Kruger's  magnanimity  to  a  vanquished  foe,  we  have  only 
to  read  the  address  which  he  made  to  the  people  of  Johannes- 
burg after  the  failure  of  many  of  its  citizens  to  destroy  his  gov- 
ernment. 

"Now  I  address  you  with  full  confidence!"  he  said. 
"  Strengthen  the  hands  of  the  government,  and  work  together 
wdth  them  to  make  this  republic  a  country  where  all  inhabitants, 
so  to  say,  live  fraternally  together.  For  months  and  months  I 
have  thought  which  alterations  and  emendations  would  be  de- 


I  JO  John  Bull's  Crime 

sirable  in  the  government  of  this  state,  but  the  unwarrantable 
instigations,  especially  of  the  press,  have  kept  me  back.  The 
same  men  who  now  appear  in  public  as  the  leaders  have  de- 
manded amendments  from  me  in  a  time  and  manner  which  they 
should  not  have  dared  to  use  in  their  own  country  out  of  fear 
of  the  penal  law.  Through  this  it  was  made  impossible  for  me 
and  my  burghers,  the  founders  of  this  republic,  to  take  your  pro- 
posals into  consideration.  It  is  my  intention  to  submit  a  draft 
law  at  the  first  ordinary  session  of  the  Volksraad,  whereby  a 
municipality  with  a  mayor  at  its  head  be  appointed  for  Johan-" 
nesburg,  to  whom  the  whole  municipal  government  of  this  town 
will  be  intrusted.  According  to  all  constitutional  principles, 
such  a  municipal  council  should  be  appointed  by  the  election  of 
the  inhabitants.  I  ask  you  earnestly,  with  your  hands  upon 
your  hearts,  to  answer  me  this  question :  Dare  I  and  should  I, 
after  all  that  has  happened,  propose  such  to  the  Volksraad? 
What  I  myself  answer  to  this  question  is,  I  know  that  there  are 
thousands  in  Johannesburg  to  whom  I  can  with  confidence  in- 
trust this  right  to  vote  in  municipal  matters.  Inhabitants  of 
Johannesburg,  make  it  possible  for  the  government  to  appear 
before  the  Volksraad  with  the  motto,  '  forget  and  forgive !  ' 
''  Signed,  S.  J.  P.  Kruger,  State  President." 

Balfour,  a  member  of  the  British  Parliament,  said :  "  Pres- 
ident Kruger  showed  himself  to  possess  a  generosity  that  is 
to  be  admired  in  his  treatment  of  Jameson  and  his  men."  This 
generosity  and  magnanimity  is  all  the  more  remarkable  and 
commendable  when  it  is  remembered  that  prior  to  that  time 
President  Kruger  had  been  insulted  and  maltreated  in  a  most 
shameful  way  by  the  people  of  Johannesburg.  On  one  occasion 
when  he  visited  that  city  in  1890  and  made  a  speech  by  invita- 


f 


I 


Orations  171 

tion  fn.m  tlie  pavilion  of  the  Wanderers'  Club,  he  was  snr- 
namded  hy  a  howling  mob  wlio  tore  the  flag  of  the  republic  into 
shreds  and  threatened  him  with  personal  injury.  They  called 
him  an  old  l)aboon.  and  cursed  him.  and  following  him  to  the 
prixate  house  where  he  was  lodging,  surrounded  it.  tore  the 
fence  down,  crushed  through  the  windows,  like  savages  crying: 
"  Down  with  old  Kruger  and  death  to  the  Republic  !  " 

On  another  occasion  the  enemies  of  the  republic  insulted  him 
in  a  disgraceful  manner.  It  arose  out  of  the  war  with  the  na- 
tive chief.  :\IaIaboch,  who  declined  to  i)ay  the  small  taxes  that 
were  due  from  him  to  the  Transvaal  government.  Among  the 
men  called  upnn  to  assist  in  bringing  the  rebel  chief  to  terms 
v.ere  fi\e  Uitlander  Englishmen.  They  refused  to  contribute 
to  the  support  of  the  government  that  was  affording  them  pro- 
tection, and  immediately  appealed  to  Lord  Loch,  the  British 
High  Commissioner  located  at  Cape  Town.  When  Lord  Loch 
reached  Pretoria,  on  his  visit  to  settle  the  matter,  he  was  met  at 
the  station  by  President  Kruger  with  his  own  carriage  and  an 
escort  to  convey  him  to  the  hotel.  On  the  way  thither  the  escort 
were  pushed  aside  by  the  enemies  of  the  republic,  the  horses 
were  taken  from  the  carriage,  and  it  was  drawn  to  the  hotel  by 
the  enthusiasts  to  the  music  of  "  God  Save  the  Queen  "  and 
"  Rule  Britannia."  A  union  jack  was  fastened  to  a  bamboo  and 
thrust  into  the  President's  face.  At  the  hotel  the  President  was 
left  sitting  in  the  carriage  until  some  of  his  burgher  friends  drew 
the  carriage  to  his  home.  Such  was  the  conduct  of  men  who 
had  come  to  the  Transvaal  from  Great  Britain  and  her  colo- 
nies and  who.  after  getting  rich  in  the  gold  mines  of  the 
Transvaal,  under  the  protection  of  the  Transvaal  government, 
sought  to  insult  its  chief  executive  and  planned  to  rule  or  ruin 
the  people  and  the  government  who  had  been  their  friends. 


172  Jolin  Bull's  Crime 

One  day  one  of  the  burghers  complained  to  President  Kruger  of 
that  treatment  by  the  Uitlanders,  when  he  good  naturedly  re- 
phed :  "  The  Uitlanders  remind  me  of  the  old  baboon  that  is 
chained  up  in  my  back  yard.  When  he  burnt  his  tail  in  the 
Kaffir's  fire  the  other  day,  he  jumped  round  and  bit  me,  and 
that  just  after  I  had  been  feeding  him." 

And  yet.  after  all  this,  the  patient,  peace-loving  old  Presi- 
dent pardoned  the  conspirators,  and  said  to  them,  "  Let  us  for- 
get and  forgive." 

How  long  would  the  people  of  our  republic  stand  it  if  for- 
eigners from  any  country  in  the  world  were  to  come  here  and, 
after  getting  rich  in  our  gold  mines,  would  undertake  to  con- 
trol our  government,  and  failing  to.  do  so  would  endeavor  to 
destroy  it  and  insult  and  abuse  our  President  ? 

No  flimsier  i)retext  for  roljbery  and  murder  ever  emanated 
from  the  wickedest  cabinet  in  Europe  in  its  palmiest  days  than 
the  British  demand  for  a  five-year  franchise  in  the  South  Afri- 
can Republic.  If  this  demand  were  granted,  not  an  English- 
man in  the  Transvaal  would  renounce  allegiance  to  the  queen 
and  swear  eternal  allegiance  to  the  government  of  the  South 
African  Republic  as  against  the  British  government.  The  idea 
was  to  obtain  the  power  to  control  the  government  of  the  re- 
public and  at  the  same  time  remain  British  subjects.  Who  ever 
heard  of  such  a  proposition  ?  W^ould  the  citizens  of  the  United 
States  be  willing  to  allow  British  subjects  or  the  subjects  of  any 
other  power  to  come  here  and  control  our  own  elections  and  our 
own  government  and  at  the  same  time  not  renounce  their  al- 
legiance to  their  own  countries?  In  this  connection  I  cannot 
better  set  forth  the  causes  of  the  present  troubles  in  South  Africa 
than  to  call  attention  to  an  appeal  recently  made  to  the  Afri- 
kanders by  the  greatest  scholar  and  one  of  the  greatest  states- 


Orations  173 

men  in  Africa,  State  Secretary  of  the  South  African  Repubhc, 
Mr.  F.  W.  Reitz.  who  writes  eloquently  as  follows: 

"  The  catastrophe  with  which  we  have  so  long  been  threat- 
ened has  at  last  overtaken  us  and  our  country  is  to  be  bathed 
in  blood. 

"  And  why? 

"  Let  the  murderers,  the  peace  and  treaty  breakers  who  are 
attacking  us  answer  the  question. 

"  With  their  usual  unblushing  effrontery  they  will  now  de- 
clare that  not  they,  but  we,  are  the  aggressors. 

"  We  the  aggressors ! 

"  Who  is  it  that  has  answered  all  our  attempts  for  a  peaceful 
settlement  with  contempt  and  even  threats? 

"  Who  is  it  that  for  months  past  has  been  mobilizing  troops 
on  our  border  from  all  parts  of  the  world  to  enforce  their 
'  friendly  advice?  ' 

"  Who  is  it  that  has  for  years  past  accused  us  of  being  op- 
pressors and  tyrants  ? 

"  Who  is  it  that,  while  hypocritically  declaring  that  they  did 
not  wish  to  impair  our  independence,  yet  continually  attempted 
to  interfere  in  the  internal  affairs  of  our  country?  That  also 
entrapped  us.  and  even  their  own  representative,  in  a  mean  and 
despicable  manner  into  making  certain  proposals  which  they 
would  be  willing  '  to  consider  on  their  merits  '  even  while  they 
were  ready  as  soon  as  these  proposals,  made  undeniably  at  their 
own  suggestion,  were  formulated  to  reject  them  as  an  insult  to 
the  British  nation  put  forward  with  the  object  of  making  mis- 
chief ? 

"  Who  is  it  that  under  the  pretext  of  obtaining  the  redress  of 
the  supposed  Uitlander  grievances  have  ranged  themselves  with 


174  John  Bull's  Crime 

the  capitalists  and  rebels  with  the  object  of  possessing  them- 
selves of  Naboth's  vineyard? 

"  Who  is  it  that  have  supported  and  aided  that  traitorous  and 
rebellious  organization,  so-called  the  League,  notwithstanding 
the  warnings  of  their  own  Acting  High  Commissioner,  Sir 
William  Butler,  an  honorable,  famous  and  highly  respected 
general,  and  of  Mr.  Schreiner,  the  premier  of  the  only  South 
African  colony  of  any  standing? 

"  Who  is  it  that  openly  accepted  a  false  petition  filled  with 
thousands  of  forged  signatures  and  others  obtained  by  fraud 
without  attempting  to  prove  any  of  those  signatures? 

"  Who  is  it  that  not  only  let  the  instigators  of  the  shameful 
Jameson  raid  practically  go  unpunished,  but  even  condoned  the 
raid  and  allowed  the  prime  movers,  with  the  aid  of  Her  Ma- 
jesty's High  Commissioner  and  Her  Majesty's  Colonial  Secre- 
tary, to  insult,  defraud  and  libel  the  Afrikander  nation  in  every 
possible  way,  backed  by  all  the  influence  which  cannon  can  sub- 
vert and  control  to  the  undying  disgrace  of  our  times?  Who 
are  these  people  ? 

''Is  it  Sir  Alfred  Milner,  Her  Majesty's  High  Commissioner 
in  South  Africa  ? 

"  Is  it  Mr.  Joseph  Chamberlain,  the  Colonial  Secretary? 

"  Is  it  Lord  Salisbury  and  the  rest  of  the  British  cabinet? 

"  Is  it  Her  Majesty,  the  Queen  of  England? 

"  Is  it  the  British  nation? 

"  Alas,  we  had  hoped  to  be  able  to  answer  the  last  two  ques- 
tions in  the  negative,  but  we  cannot ! 

"  The  British  cabinet — the  British  nation — the  noble,  peace- 
loving  and  aged  sovereign,  honorefl  and  respected  by  us  all  till 
now,  thev  have  all  either  condoned  the  injustice  which  is  being 
done  to  us  or  they  have  allowed  themselves  to  be  misled  by 


Orations  175 

a  man  like  Chamberlain  in  a  manner  that  a  just  God  will  not 
allow  to  pass  unpunished. 

"  If  nations  must  be  punished  like  individuals  for  condoning 
an  ofifense  as  well  as  for  committing-  one,  then  this  Prime  ]\Iin- 
ister,  this  nation,  this  sovereign,  will  not  be  able  to  defend 
themselves  at  the  bar  of  the  Great  Judge  for  their  unrighteous 
and  unjust  deeds. 

"  The  nation  tliat  has  encouraged  race-hatred,  their  prime 
minister  and  their  anointed  queen  who  have  allowed  such  a  dis- 
grace, have  made  themselves  equally  guilty  with  the  evil-doers, 
and  if  it  should  happen  in  South  Africa,  as  was  the  case  in 
North  America  a  hundred  years  ago,  that  *  Ichabod  '  become 
the  password  of  the  British  Empire,  on  whom  will  the  blame 
rest? 

"  '  If  the  blind  lead  the  blind  they  will  both  fall  into  the  pit/ 
and  we  shall  be  able,  who  knows  how  soon,  to  declare  of  our 
enemies.  '  that  whom  God  wishes  to  destroy  He  will  first  make 
insane.' 

"  The  statesmen  of  England,  the  warriors,  the  press,  aye,  even 
the  preachers,  have  so  often  declared  to  us  and  the  whole  world 
that  the  British  Empire  is  a  mighty  empire,  but  we  know  that 
whosoever  may  be  mighty  the  Lord  our  God  is  Almighty. 

"  Brother  Afrikanders,  the  great  day  is  at  hand !  The  God 
of  our  fathers  will  be  with  us  in  our  struggle,  the  Lord  whose 
arm  has  not  been  shortened  so  that  He  cannot  help  those  who 
call  to  Him  in  their  time  of  trouble.  Let  us  lay  aside  our  trust 
in  princes  and  raise  our  eyes  in  supplication  to  God,  our  Banner. 
By  His  help  we  will  do  great  deeds. 

"  Even  as  the  mighty  Spain  with  her  bloodthirsty  Alva  and 
her  invincible  armada  had  to  swallow  the  bitterness  of  defeat, 
so  too  will  God  give  our  enemies  into  our  hands.     AMio  are 


.'4  (W^nUTt^'^    Hft^*- 


176  John  Bull's  Crime 

we  that  the  mighty  England  should  send  her  thousands  of  mer- 
cenary troops  against  us  ?  A  young  and  weak  nation,  small  in 
numbers  and  insignificant  in  military  strength. 

"  Tempted  by  the  wealth  of  our  mines,  the  enemy  have  cast 
about  for  an  excuse  to  attack  us.  Let  them  deny  that  if  they 
are  able.  Who  in  South  Africa  will  believe  them  ?  The  cry  is 
'  the  Uitlanders  in  South  Africa  are  oppressed,  and  they  are  de- 
barred political  rights !  ' 

"  Only  after  seven  long  years  of  waiting  can  they  obtain  the 
longed-for  franchise  and  not  after  five  years — wdiat  an  un- 
heard-of injustice! 

"  They  are  eager  to  forget  that  there  are  thousands  of  the 
so-called  oppressed  ones  for  wdiom  it  is  possible  on  account  of 
the  retroactive  force  of  the  seven-years  franchise  law  to  obtain 
the  franchise  at  once,  but  decline  to  take  it. 

"  In  England — that  free  England — the  new  comer  must  wair 
twelve  years  before  he  can  vote  for  the  House  of  Commons. 

"  Of  the  House  of  Lords  they  wall  prefer  to  say  nothing,  be- 
cause are  not  the  members  of  that  body  rulers  by  birth?  But 
in  our  republic  it  must  be  five  years  or — war ! 

"  According  to  their  Colonial  Secretary,  England  has  consti- 
tuted herself  champion  of  all  the  Uitlanders.  And  what  do  we 
find? 

"  On  the  borders,  side  by  side  with  our  burghers,  we  find  these 
same  Uitlanders  in  hundreds — Hollanders,  Americans,  Irish- 
men— ready  to  lay  dow^n  their  lives  in  order  to  rid  themselves  of 
tliese  self-constituted  champions. 

"  Verily,  a  fine  champion  of  the  oppressed  is  that  nation 
which  has  ever  since  the  birth  of  our  nation  been  the  oppressor 
of  the  Afrikander  and  the  native  alike. 

"  From  Slaghter's  Nek  to  Lang's  Nek,  from  the  Pretoria 


Orations  i  jj 

convention  to  the  Bloemfontein  conference,  they  have  ever  been 
the  treaty-l^reakers  and  r()l)bers.  The  diamond  fields  of  Kim- 
berley  and  the  beautiful  land  of  Natal  were  robbed  from  us,  and 
now  they  want  the  gold  fields  of  the  Witwatersrand. 

"  Where  is  Waterboer  to-day?  He  who  had  to  be  defended 
against  the  Free  State  is  to-day  without  an  inch  of  ground. 

"  Where  lies  Lobengula?  In  his  unknown  grave  to-day,  and 
what  filibusters  and  fortune  hunters  are  possessors  of  his 
country  ? 

"  Where  are  the  native  chiefs  of  Bechuanaland  now,  and  who 
owns  their  land  ? 

"  Read  the  history  of  South  Africa  and  ask  yourselves,  '  Has 
the  British  government  been  a  blessing  or  a  curse  to  the  sub- 
continent? ' 

"  Brother  Afrikanders,  I  repeat,  the  day  is  at  hand  on  which 
great  deeds  are  expected  of  us !  War  has  broken  out !  What 
is  it  to  be?  A  wasted  and  enslaved  South  Africa  or  a  free, 
united  South  Africa? 

"  Come,  let  us  stand  shoulder  to  shoulder  and  do  our  holy 
duty  !     The  Lord  of  Hosts  will  be  our  Leader ! 

''  Be  of  good  cheer!  (Signed)      F.  W.  Reitz." 

Such  an  appeal  should  touch  the  heart  of  every  person  who 
loves  right  and  fair  play. 

The  simple  truth  of  the  matter  is  that  the  British  government 
forced  President  Kruger  into  a  quarrel  after  he  had  done  every- 
thing in  his  power  to  avoid  it.  While  negotiations  were  pend- 
ing British  troops  were  being  massed  in  South  Africa.  The  basis 
of  the  negotiations  meanwhile  were  ingeniously  shifted  so  that 
as  the  British  preparations  for  war  had  grown  more  complete 
the  acceptance  by  the  Boers  of  the  so-called  British  terms  would 


178  John  Bull's  Crime 

mean  an  ever-increasing  measure  of  submission  and  humiliation 
on  the  part  of  the  Transvaal. 

The  British  demands  are  trumped  up  and  without  a  sound 
basis  either  in  morals  or  in  law.  It  is  a  sad  spectacle  of  the 
strongest  empire  in  the  world  bringing  domineering  pressure  to 
bear  upon  a  tiny  republic  to  influence  a  change  of  certain  do- 
mestic policies  which  are  in  no  sense  a  part  of  the  business  of 
that  empire.  For  the  Boers  to  comply  with  the  demands  of  the 
British  government  would  have  meant  the  sacrifice  of  every  ves- 
tige of  essential  sovereignty  belonging  to  the  Transvaal  as  an 
independent  republic.  The  question  of  the  naturalization  of 
foreigners  in  the  South  African  Republic  is  no  more  the  busi- 
ness of  the  British  government  than  are  the  naturalization  laws 
of  the  republic  of  Mexico  a  matter  of  concern  to  the  Republic  of 
the  United  States  of  America.  It  is  one  of  those  questions  of  in- 
ternal policy  that  pertains  only  to  the  Transvaal  government. 
In  this  war  with  the  Boers  it  took  almost  as  much  trouble  for 
Great  Britain  to  force  it  on  as  it  often  has  taken  to  preserve  the 
peace.  Every  principle  the  recognition  of  which  marks  a  fresh 
stage  of  human  progress  has  been  trampled  under  foot  by  the 
British  government.  The  Boers  have  been  greatly  abused  by 
the  British  because  it  is  alleged  they  began  the  war.  In  other 
words,  the  Boers  were  too  hasty;  they  would  not  wait  until  all 
the  British  troops  had  arrived  in  South  Africa.  Whoever  heard 
of  such  nonsense?  That  great  civilized  nation  of  four  hundred 
millions  of  people  are  complaining  because  the  people  of  the 
two  little  republics,  who  do  not  number,  all  told,  more  than  three 
hundred  thousand  people,  including  men,  women  and  children, 
insisted  upon  issuing  their  ultimatum  and  then  proceeded  to 
give  battle  before  the  British  hosts  from  England,  Ireland,  Scot- 
land, Wales,  India,  Australia,  New  Zealand,  Canada,  Natal, 


Orations  179 

Rhodesia  and  Cape  Colony  to  the  number  of  three  hundred  thou- 
sand soldiers,  one  fOr  each  man,  woman  and  child  in  both  re- 
publics, should  arrive,  together  with  hundreds  of  marines 
from  the  English  navy,  and  hundreds  of  cannon,  howitzers. 
Maxims  and  great  guns  from  the  battle  ships,  in  fact  the  best 
guns  to  be  found  in  the  world — while  on  the  Boer  side  all 
told  there  were  not  m(-)re  than  thirty  thousand  men,  and  these 
had  but  a  few  inferior  cannon  and  no  bayonets  or  swords  at  all. 
Practically  the  only  arms  they  had  were  Mauser  rifles.  One 
Boer  to  ten  British  !  And  yet  the  Boers  were  not  trained  sol- 
diers, only  simple  farmers  like  the  thousands  of  rugged  farmers 
in  our  own  country.  They  are  just  plain,  common  people,  pre- 
cisely the  same  kind  of  people  that  Abraham  Lincoln  loved. 

During  our  visit  to  the  country  surrounding  Ladysmith  we 
saw^  much  of  the  Boer  army.  They  had  fifteen  thousand  British 
soldiers  shut  up  in  Ladysmith.  Some  fifteen  or  twenty  miles 
away  was  the  Tugela  River,  and  just  across  that  river,  close  to 
Cheveley  and  Colenso  were  more  than  forty  thousand  British 
troops  under  General  Buller.  From  the  tops  of  the  hills  the 
tents  of  the  British  could  be  seen  distinctly  and  they  covered 
many  acres  of  ground.  It  was,  indeed,  a  mighty  and  imposing 
army.  General  Buller  was  recognized  as  one  of  England's 
greatest  commanders,  and  was  sent  to  Africa  with  much  display 
t' )  put  an  end  to  the  war  in  a  few  weeks.  But.  alas,  his  splendid 
armv  undertook  to  break  through  the  Boer  army  five  dift'erent 
times  for  the  relief  of  Ladysmith,  each  time  being  driven  back 
across  the  Tugela  River  with  fearful  losses — while,  at  the 
same  time,  the  Boer  army  kept  General  White  and  his  men  se- 
curely imprisoned  in  the  besieged  city.  Lideed,  it  is  estimated 
that  as  many  as  sixteen  thousand  men  were  lost  to  the  British 
army  on  the  Tugela  River  and  in  Ladysmith.     And  how  many 


i8o  John  Bull's  Crime 

Boers  do  you  suppose  caused  this  loss — hurled  Buller  and  his 
forty  thousand  men  five  times  back  across  that  blood  red  river 
and  at  the  same  time  held  the  fifteen  thousand  British  in  Lady- 
smith,  where  many  of  them  succumbed  daily  to  fever  and  hun- 
ger ?  Not  over  seven  thousand  Boers  did  all  this.  Think  of  it, 
my  countrymen !  Only  seven  thousand  farmers  fighting  and 
willing  to  die  for  home  and  loved  ones,  for  right  and  liberty ! 
Seven  thousand  patriots,  fighting  for  two  little  republics,  and 
holding  their  own  against  more  than  fifty-five  thousand  trained 
soldiers  of  a  selfish  and  grasping  monarchy  trying  to  destroy 
those  republics !  As  citizens  of  the  greatest  republic  in  the 
v/orld,  with  which  side  should  we  sympathize?  I  say  our 
sympathies  should  go  out  to  that  brave  little  band  of  patriots 
who  are  struggling  to  keep  alive  forever  the  fires  of  liberty  upon 
the  altars  of  these  two  young  republics !  We  have  seen  many 
charges  made  by  British  ofiicers  and  British  correspondents  that 
the  Boers  have  frequently  outraged  the  white  flag  and  the  Red 
Cross  flag.  Upon  investigation,  not  only  among  the  Boers 
themselves,  but  among  the  officers  who  were  at  Pretoria  when 
we  were  there,  we  learned  that  these  charges  were  absolutely 
unfounded. 

On  the  contrary  we  did  learn  that  this  was  a  set  up  job  to  de- 
ceive not  only  the  people  of  Great  Britain  at  home,  but  to 
deceive  the  peoples  of  other  civilized  countries.  The  truth  is 
that  the  British  soldiers  themselves  are  the  parties  who  out- 
raged many  of  the  rules  of  civilized  warfare  and  frequently 
ignored  the  white  flag  and  also  the  Red  Cross  flag.  On  the  top 
of  Spion's  Kop,  when  that  wonderful  battle  was  almost  over, 
a  young  Boer  soldier  not  more  than  sixteen  years  of  age  was 
passing  by  a  wounded  British  soldier,  and  the  British  soldier 
asked  him  for  a  drink  of  water.     As  the  tender-hearted  Boer 


Orations  i  8 1 

lad  was  kneeling  down  by  his  side  to  let  him  drink  water  from 
his  own  canteen  that  British  soldier  thrust  a  bayonet  into  the 
poor  boy's  side.  During  the  Battle  of  Dundee  there  was  a  lull 
in  the  firing  for  a  time,  on  account  of  the  Boers  seeing  a  buggy 
approaching  them  rapidly  and  floating  a  white  flag.  All  waited 
its  arrival.  At  a  distance  of  about  six  hundred  yards  from 
th.em  the  buggy  stopped,  wheeled  about,  dropped  the  white  flag, 
and  that  innocent  looking  buggy  was  suddenly  transformed 
into  a  murderous  ]\Iaxim  gun  which  felled  nearly  a  dozen 
Boers !  I  talked  with  the  man  who  captured  that  flag  and  saw  it 
myself.  It  was  a  white  flag,  with  a  small  black  stripe  through 
the  center,  but  at  a  short  distance  away  it  seemed  perfectly 
white.  That  flag  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Colonel  Blake,  the 
brave  American  soldier  who  commands  the  Irish  Brigade,  and 
"  no  braver  men  than  the  Irish  Brigade  are  in  the  Boer  army," 
said  General  Joubert  to  me.  For  instance,  at  the  Battle  of 
Elandslaagte  six  hundred  Boers,  all  told,  with  two  old  can- 
non, were  surprised  by  three  thousand  British  with  eighteen 
cannon.  The  battle  begins :  it  rages ;  the  cannons  roar ;  the 
shells  burst  upon  the  little  hills;  the  shrieks  of  the  rifles,  the 
groans  of  the  dying  fill  the  air.  The  six  hundred  patriots  for 
liberty  are  enveloped  in  the  clouds  of  smoke  and  fire.  Xobly 
they  stand  up  against  most  fearful  odds,  against  eighteen  can- 
non, three  thousand  rifles,  countless  swords  and  bayonets. 
The  British  lancers  charge  them  with  murderous  lance,  the 
cavalry  surge  against  them,  their  sabres  flashing  in  the  light. 
The  brave  six  hundred  give  way  a  little  before  the  fearful 
charge  of  the  three  thousand,  then  stand  firm  again.  Then  it 
is  a  hand  to  hand  struggle  raging  fierce  and  strong.  Boer  and 
Briton  falling  fast,  side  by  side,  now  on  top  of  each  other, 
grasping  each  other  by  the  throats.   After  an  awful  death  strug- 


1 82  John  Bull's  Crime 

gle  the  six  hundred  Boers  yield  to  the  three  thousand  Britons — 
five  to  one.  Then  the  cables  carry  to  England  and  to  the  world 
the  account  of  the  great  victory  of  the  civihzed  Briton  over  the 
uncouth,  savage  Boer.  After  that  awful  storm  of  battle  had 
passed  away  there  came  a  strange  calm  over  the  field  of  car- 
nage. Then  it  was  that  the  civilized  British  lancer  began  to 
play  his  part  in  that  bloody  drama.  With  lordly  mien  and 
lance  in  hand  he  rode  over  the  battlefield  inspecting  the  dead, 
wounded  and  dying.  He  halted  on  approaching  an  old  white- 
haired  Boer  who  was  seriously  wounded  and  begged  for  a 
mouthful  of  water.  "  There  it  is,"  the  lancer  replied,  as  he 
thrust  his  lance  through  the  dying  Boer's  side.  Another  thrust 
quickly  followed,  and  the  old  man  prayed  for  the  third  thrust 
to  end  his  agony.  A  second  lancer  came  along  just  then  and 
gave  him  the  third,  and  all  was  over.  Thus  the  lancers  played 
their  role  with  the  wounded  and  dying  Boers.  There  was  one 
case  of  an  old  Boer  shot  through  the  lungs  who  was  lying  pros- 
trate on  his  back.  Eleven  lance  wounds  were  inflicted  upon 
him,  then  he  feigned  death,  and  when  the  British  left  the  field 
he  was  picked  up  by  some  of  the  Red  Cross  workers,  and  he  is 
alive  to-day  to  show  his  ugly  wounds,  which  were  given  him, 
not  by  the  Boer  savages,  but  by  the  British  civilizers.  It  is  also 
claimed  by  the  British  that  the  Boers  will  not  fight  in  the  open, 
that  they  are  too  cowardly  to  fight  unless  they  are  well  pro- 
tected and  fortified.  It  is  true  that  the  Boer  commanders  will 
not  i)ermit  their  men  to  hazard  their  lives  foolishly,  for  the 
reason  that  their  force  is  so  small  they  can  ill  afford  to  lose  a 
single  man,  but  whenever  it  is  necessary  to  fight  in  the  open 
they  have  few  equals  and  no  superiors  in  the  world.  Those 
who  are  familiar  with  the  fight  at  Majuba  Hill  in  the  long-  ago 
remember  how  a  handful  of  Boers  climbed  the  side  of  that 


Orations  183 

famous  liill  and  plucked  the  laurel  of  victory  from  the  hands 
of  an  overwhelming  British  force  upon  its  blood-besprinkled 
crest.  And  who  that  witnessed  the  Battle  of  Spion's  Kop  can 
doubt  for  a  moment  that  the  Boers  will  fight  in  the  open  when- 
ever it  is  necessary.  For  several  days  General  Buller  with  his 
legions  had  been  trying  to  force  a  passage  over  the  Tugela 
River  in  the  vicinity  of  Spion's  Kop.  Thousands  of  mounted 
men  and  foot  soldiers  were  in  movement  on  the  flats  in  front 
of  Colenso  and  the  artillery  boml)arded  the  Boer  positions  with 
great  vehemence.  During  the  night  a  small  number  of  Boers 
took  up  their  position  on  Spion's  Kop  as  sentinels,  as  it  was  a 
hill  that  commanded  a  view  of  all  the  surrounding  country. 
This  was  on  the  night  of  the  twenty-second  of  January.  The 
following  night  this  hill  was  ascended  by  about  three  thousand 
British  soldiers  and  the  handful  of  Boers  were  driven  off,  as 
they  seemed  not  to  realize  at  that  time  the  value  of  this  hill  to 
the  enemy.  On  the  next  morning  it  was  impossible  to  take  im- 
mediate steps  to  drive  the  British  from  the  hill,  especially  as 
everything  was  hidden  in  a  thick  mist.  W^hen  the  mist  cleared 
away,  a  little  later  in  the  morning.  General  Burger,  who  was 
in  command,  received  a  heliograph  message  from  General  Joti- 
bert,  from  his  camp  beyond  Ladysmith,  that  Spion's  Kop  gave 
the  enemy  a  splendid  advantage  over  all  the  country  surround- 
ing Ladysmith,  therefore  it  must  be  retaken  by  the  Boers  at 
any  cost.  Then  it  was  that  the  storming  of  that  hill  was  begun 
by  the  Boers.  Forty  or  fifty  of  them  started  up  the  steep  side 
of  that  hill.  The  British  to  the  number  of  three  thousand  were 
intrenched  upon  its  summit,  yet  this  small  band  made  the  start. 
They  leaped  like  wild  beasts  from  boulder  to  boulder,  shelter- 
ing themselves  with  the  rocks  as  best  they  could  and  firing  care- 
fullv  with  their  Mausers  as  thev  advanced — not  clad  in  daz- 


I  84  John  Bull's  Crime 

zling  uniforms — simply  the  farmer's  garb — without  bayonets 
or  swords,  simply  with  trusty  rifle  and  two  bandoliers  of 
cartridges.  Thus  they  advanced,  followed  closely  by  others,  as 
they  arrived  in  small  bands  from  neighboring  laagers  located 
amid  the  surrounding  hills.  Up  they  went,  slowly,  but  surely. 
Not  over  five  hundred  Boers  engaged  in  the  battle  at  any  one 
time.  British  cannon  and  Maxims  roared.  Great  lyddite 
shells  to  the  number  of  two  thousand  flew  through  the  air  and 
burst  over  and  among  the  Boers,  so  that  the  air  was  filled  with 
dust,  broken  stones  and  poisonous  acid  fumes  from  the  ex- 
ploded lyddite  shells.  Step  by  step,  however,  that  brave  band 
of  patriots  advanced.  The  British  once  endeavored  to  make  a 
charge  with  bayonets,  but  the  sure  fire  of  the  Boer  Mausers  held 
them  back.  The  fight  continued  until  two  o'clock  in  the  after- 
no(Mi.  During  all  this  time  the  Boers  were  continually  advanc- 
ing, but  carefully  feeling  their  way.  Finally,  in  the  heaviest 
part  of  the  fight,  some  of  the  Boers  charged  with  the  cry, 
''  Hands  up,  weapons  downs!  "  Immediately  the  British  fusi- 
leers  in  the  foremost  fortifications  threw  up  their  hands  as  a 
sign  of  surrender,  Init  as  soon  as  the  Boers  raised  themselves 
from  behind  the  rocks  the  British  fired  at  them  again,  and  had 
it  not  been  for  that  British  act  of  treachery  not  a  dozen  Boers 
would  have  been  killed  in  that  wonderful  battle.  But  onward 
and  upward  the  Boers  advanced,  brave  and  intrepid  men.  the 
old,  the  middle-aged  and  the  youth,  all  bravely  fighting  against 
wonderful  odds,  for  home,  for  liberty,  for  native  land.  When 
the  fight  began  a  giant  Boer  in  the  prime  of  strength  and  man- 
hood was  seen  carrying  a  small  Boer  flag.  Tn  a  short  time  he 
fell  to  rise  no  more.  Then  an  old  white-haired  veteran  picked 
up  the  fallen  banner,  and  waving  it  urged  his  comrades  on. 
With  flowing  hair  and  flashing  eyes  the  old  man  rushed  on, 


Orations  185 

but  suddenly  a  shell  laid  him  low.  Ere  the  little  tlag  touched  the 
ground,  however,  a  barefooted  lad,  only  thirteen  years  of  age, 
who  had  been  hghting  in  his  shirt  sleeves,  leaped  like  a  panther 
to  the  old  man's  side  and,  snatching  the  flag  from  his  grand- 
father's nerveless  hand,  raised  it  aloft  and  pushed  on.  A  mighty 
shout  arose  from  the  Boers  as  they  saw  that  gallant  deed,  and 
with  renewed  courage  they  made  a  fearful  charge.  Following 
the  flag,  they  rushed  like  an  avalanche  over  the  British  trenches, 
and  Spion's  Kop  was  won.  After  the  British  survivors  retired 
over  the  Tugela  River,  it  was  discovered  that  fully  two  thou- 
sand British  soldiers  were  lost  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing, 
while  the  Boers  lost  only  forty-six  killed  and  about  one  hun- 
dred wounded.  Empty  cartridge  shells  could  be  picked  up  by 
the  bucketfuls  in  many  places  on  the  top  of  the  hill,  showing  the 
great  amount  of  ammunition  that  had  been  used  by  the  Eng- 
lish, but  they  seemed  to  fail  to  hit  the  Boers  with  much  of  it. 
The  British  were  lying  dead  and  wounded,  two,  three  and  four 
deep  in  the  trenches.  In  one  trench  were  more  than  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  dead  bodies. 

Some  seven  days  after  the  battle,  hearing  that  the  British 
had  not  buried  their  dead.  I  went  to  visit  the  battlefield.  We 
arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  late  in  the  afternoon,  at  Helborn 
laager.  There  we  met  General  Burger,  who  told  us  to  w^ait 
until  the  next  morning  before  attempting  to  ascend  the  hill, 
as  he  thought  it  would  be  safe  then  to  go  up.  ''  For,"  said 
he,  "  T  have  just  sent  General  Buller  a  letter  saying  that  many 
of  his  troops  are  yet  lying  unlniried  on  the  top  of  Spion's  Kop, 
and  that  if  he  will  send  some  one  to  bury  them  I  will  protect 
them.  If  he  does  not  wish  to  do  this,  if  he  will  keep  his  ar- 
tillery from  firing  on  to  the  hill,  my  men  shall  bury  them, 
and.''  added  General  Burger,  "  this  is  the  third  letter  of  this 


1 86  John  Bull's  Crime 

kind  I  have  written,  but  I  hope  I  may  have  an  answer  in  the 
morning.  If  I  do,  you  can  go  up  without  danger  of  being 
shot."  We  camped  that  night  near  the  Boer  laager  and  early 
next  morning  the  expected  reply  to  General  Burger's  letter  was 
received,  written  and  signed  by  General  Buller  himself,  to  the 
effect  that  he  was  glad  to  receive  the  letter  and  would  be  glad 
if  General  Burger  would  bury  the  British  dead,  and  while  do- 
ing so  the  British  artillery  would  cease  firing  upon  the  hill, 
and  if  General  Burger  would  send  him  the  amount  of  expense 
he  would  see  that  the  bill  was  paid.  General  Burger  re- 
garded this  reply  as  an  insult,  but  nevertheless  concluded  to 
bury  the  British  dead.  Then  I  visited  the  top  of  Spion's  Kop 
and  saw  there  the  most  terrible  sight  that  could  be  imagined. 
Upon  every  hand  were  helmets,  belts,  canteens,  bayonets  and 
wearing  apparel  scattered  about  covered  with  clotted  blood. 
Here  and  there  were  sm.all  ridges  of  fresh  earth  and  stones 
thrown  up.  and  along  those  ridges  at  intervals  of  ten  or  fifteen 
feet  were  heaps  of  writhing  worms,  each  heap  about  two  feet 
in  circumference.  I  could  not  imagine  what  this  awful  sight 
meant,  when  a  Boer  who  was  with  me  took  a  stick  of  wood  and 
scraped  the  dirt  away,  when  to  my  horror  I  saw  the  body  of  a 
man  lying  upon  his  back,  his  stomach  having  swollen  and  pro- 
truded through  the  thin  coating  of  earth.  In  other  places  we 
passed  along  and  saw  feet  and  hands  protruding  through  the 
ground,  all  swollen  and  skin  bursting  asunder,  while  the  rest  of 
the  body  was  covered  with  a  thin  coating  of  earth.  The  ex- 
planation was  that  these  poor  British  soldiers  had  been  buried 
by  their  comrades  under  only  a  few  inches  of  dirt.  In  other 
places  we  saw  scores  of  dead  British  soldiers  lying  on  the  top 
of  the  ground  just  where  they  had  fallen,  no  attempt  having 
been  made  to  burv  them.     Their  bodies  in  that  hot  country, 


Orations  187 

under  that  burning  sun,  were  in  a  horrible  state  of  decomposi- 
tion. The  vultures  had  been  feeding  upon  them.  I  saw  three 
boys  lying  side  by  side,  one  with  his  comrade's  wrist  clasped  in 
his  hand,  while  the  ugly  earthworms  trailed  over  their  putrid 
cheeks  seeking  a  hiding  ])]ace  in  their  matted  hair.  As  I  looked 
upon  them  I  thought  if  the  mothers  and  fathers  in  Great  Brit- 
ain and  her  colonies  could  but  know  the  sad  fate  of  their  boys 
through  the  cruelty  and  savagery  of  their  commanders,  who 
were  responsible  for  it.  they  would  rise  at  once  and  demand  that 
that  unholy  and  unnatural  war  should  cease  and  cease  at  once. 
As  we  descended  from  the  hill  we  met  the  Boers  going  up  to 
bury  the  British  dead,  who  had  been  so  sadly  neglected  by  their 
own  comrades  and  commanders,  who  amuse  themselves  by  call- 
ing the  Boers  savages.  Brave  were  the  ancient  Greeks  of  Ath- 
ens and  Sparta,  who  with  their  allies  stood  up  to  battle  and  to 
die  to  defend  themselves  against  Asiatic  invasion;  brave  were 
Alexander  the  Great  and  his  Macedonians  on  the  battlefield 
of  Issus,  where  they  won  a  victory  against  overwhelming  odds; 
brave  was  the  struggle  of  the  Tyrolese  against  the  legions  of 
Napoleon ;  brave  the  stand  made  by  the  Switzers  for  liberty 
against  the  Hapsburgs ;  brave  the  wonderful  charge  of  Pickett's 
men  and  equally  brave  the  defense  of  the  Union  troops  on  the 
crimson  heights  of  Gettysburg;  brave  were  the  heroic  dead  who 
fell  at  Salamis  and  ^Marathon;  brave,  indeed,  were  the  famous 
three  hundred  at  Thermopylae;  but  equally  brave,  gallant  and 
chivalrous  are  the  humble  peasants  of  the  veldt,  who  defended 
the  passes  of  the  Drakensberg  and  sought  death  climbing 
the  rugged  sides  of  Spion's  Kop,  willing  to  die,  if  need  be.  to 
save  their  beloved  republics  from  the  British  yoke  of  oppression. 
These  men  have  the  same  spirit  that  prompted  the  farmers  to 
face  death  for  liberty  at  Lexington  Green,  that  nerved  the  arms 


1 88  John  Bull's  Crime 

of  Americans  at  Saratoga,  Bunker  Hill  and  Brandywine,  that 
warmed  the  hearts  of  Washington  and  his  shivering  patriots  at 
Valley  Forge,  and  at  New  Orleans  where  Jackson  and  his  men 
taught  old  England  that  easier  were  it  to  hurl  the  rooted  moun- 
tain from  its  base  than  to  force  the  yoke  of  slavery  upon  men 
determined  to  be  free. 

Then  why  should  we  not  sympathize  with  them?  Why 
should  we  not,  the  greatest  republic  in  the  world,  assist  the 
smallest  of  republics?  Is  the  word  '*  liberty  "  to  become  obso- 
lete in  our  national  lexicon  ?  Shall  the  fair  name  of  this  great 
republic,  whose  prowess  on  land  and  sea  has  been  the  marvel  of 
th.e  century,  be  used  in  r.urope  by  the  British  officials  and  the 
British  press  as  a  menace  to  other  European  powers  who  are 
anxious  to  assist  the  Boers  in  their  brave  struggle  for  freedom 
and  independence?  Let  us  not  drift  away  from  the  principles 
and  doctrines  of  our  fathers.  Let  us  listen  to  the  cry  for  help 
from  all  who  struggle  for  liberty  and  justice.  Let  it  nc^t  be  said 
by  future  historians  that  this  great  republic  arose  in  splendor 
and  grandeur  that  made  the  world  stare,  but  it  hated  justice  and 
liberty,  it  halted  on  its  bright  and  shining  march — it  fell,  and, 
as  it  was  going  down,  the  despotisms  of  earth,  grinning  from 
the  tops  of  bloody  thrones,  shouted,  "  We  told  you  so,  we  told 
you  so !  "  Oh,  may  the  eighty  millions  of  American  freemen 
see  to  it  that  the  world  may  know  that  their  sympathies  are  not 
with  Great  Britain,  but  with  the  struggling  Boers,  and  let  it  be 
known  that  they  believe  the  cruel  war  waged  in  South  Africa 
should  stop  and  stop  at  once. 

Oh,  spirit  of  freedom,  on ! 

Oh,  pause  not  in  thy  flight, 
Until  South  Africa  is  won 

To  worship  in  thy  light. 


Orations  189 


Still  onward  he  thy  way, 

And  wake  those  sleeping  lands. 
Thousands  are  waiting  for  thy  ray 

And  lift   to  thee  their  hands. 
Still  onward  be  thy  cry, 

Thy  banner  on  the  blast, 
And  as  thou  rushest  by, 

Despotic  Britain  shall  shrink  aghast. 
On,  till  thy  name  is  known 

Throughout  the  peopled  earth ; 
On,  till  thou  reignest  alone, 

Man's  heritage  by  birth; 
On,  till   from  every  Orange  Free   State  vale. 

And  where  the  Transvaal  mountains  rise, 
The  beacon  lights  of  liberty. 

Shall  kindle  to  the  skies ! 

Long  live  liberty !     Long  live  the  Boer  republics ! 


At  the  Academy  of  Music  in  Philadelphia,  on  the  night  of 
April  9th.  five  thousand  school  boys  of  that  city  assembled  for 
the  purpose  of  placing  a  message  addressed  to  President  Kruger 
of  the  South  African  Republic,  which  had  been  signed  by  nearly 
thirty  thousand  school  boys  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  in  the 
hands  of  James  Francis  Smith.  American  District  Messenger 
1534,  to  be  delivered  to  President  Kruger  in  person.  The 
meeting  was  addressed  by  W.  Bourke  Cockran,  Edwin  Mark- 
ham,  the  poet,  and  myself.     I  spoke  in  part  as  follows : 

During  my  recent  visit  to  South  Africa.  I  visited  the  prin- 
cipal cities  and  nearly  all  the  battlefields  in  both  republics, 
mingled  among  the  figliting  burghers  on  the  march,  in  the 
laagers  and  on  the  battlefields,  and  was  able  to  study  them  and 
to  learn  much  of  their  character  and  many  of  their  iiational 
characteristics.     I  also  saw  much  of  the  Boers  who  remained 


190  John  Bull's  Crime 

at  home  on  their  farms,  in  the  cities  and  villages.  I  am  con- 
vinced that  no  people  have  ever  been  so  maligned  as  they.  x\ 
more  rugged,  honest  and  kind-hearted  people  never  lived. 
Enter  their  homes  and  every  effort  is  made  to  make  you  com- 
fortable. All  they  possess  is  yours  for  the  time  you  are  under 
their  roof.  Every  man  is  a  hero.  And  every  woman  is  a 
heroine. 

In  Pretoria  I  saw  Mrs.  Reitz,  the  charming  wife  of  the  sec- 
retary of  state  for  the  South  African  Republic,  and  Mrs.  Groeb- 
ler,  the  wife  of  the  Secretary  for  Foreign  Affairs,  and  many 
other  prominent  women,  day  and  night,  in  all  kinds  of  weather, 
going  to  the  railway  station  with  food  for  the  Boer  soldiers 
who  were  on  their  way  tC)  the  front.  And  these  noble  women 
were  continually  caring  for  the  wounded  soldiers  in  the  hospi- 
tals and  for  the  widows  and  orj^hans  at  home.  I  met  one  old 
lady,  aged,  wrinkled  and  white-haired,  sitting  by  the  side  of  her 
husband,  who  was  wounded  and  lying  on  a  cot  in  one  of  the 
hospitals.  She  was  nursing  him  and  trying  to  help  him  re- 
cover sufficiently  to  return  to  his  commando  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. She  told  me  her  husband  had  taken  part  in  nine  wars  in 
South  Africa.  One  day  riding  along  the  veldt,  I  met  a  Boer 
heavily  armed  and  a  boy  twehe  years  old  riding  by  his  side. 
He  said  he  was  going  to  the  prospective  battle  on  the  Tugela 
River.  I  asked  why  he  was  taking  his  little  son  with  him.  He 
replied  that  his  wife  wanted  him  to  do  so,  so  that  if  he  was 
killed  the  boy  could  take  his  place.  I  said  to  the  little  fellow, 
"  Can  you  shoot?  "  "  O.  yes,"  said  he,  "  I  can  shoot  almost  as 
v.-ell  as  father,  and  if  he  is  killed  T  will  take  his  gun."  Such  are 
the  Boers  and  such  the  wives  and  mothers  of  the  Boers.  Surely 
such  women  were  not  born  to  suckle  slaves. 

T  met  President  Kruger  and  found  him  a  most  remarkable 


DRlKGEiiLAOrEX  IN  DEX  CoRLOO. 
(The  three  generations  in  arms.) 

"  FreedonCs  battle,  once  begun, 
Bequeutiied  by  bleeding  sire  to  son, 
T/ioujh  baffled  oft,  is  ever  iron."'' 


Orations 


191 


man.  When  we  called  upon  him  at  his  home  he  was  sitting 
on  the  porch  of  his  cottage,  smoking  his  pipe  and  chatting  with 
a  couple  of  old  friends  from  the  country,  whose  sons  were  at 
the  front.  They  had  called  to  inquire  for  news  concerning 
them.  After  shaking  hands  we  were  conducted  to  the  parlor, 
where  we  had  a  little  chat.  The  old  President  expressed  him- 
self as  being  a  great  admirer  of  our  republic.  He  said  he 
thought  the  greatest  republic  in  the  world  ought  to  feel  friendly 
toward  the  smallest  of  republics,  and  he  hoped  God  would  con- 
tinue to  bless  the  Repul)lic  of  the  United  States  and  its  splendid 
people.  He  said  he  and  his  people  were  struggling  for  liberty 
and  independence  against  the  greatest  empire  in  the  world,  that 
they  were  forced  into  this  unholy  war  after  yielding  to  nine- 
tenths  of  the  unjust  demands  made  upon  them  by  the  covetous 
colonial  office  of  the  British  Empire,  that  British  troops  con- 
tinued to  arrive  in  Africa  and  were  a  menace  to  the  peace  and 
prosperity  of  their  country,  so  that  they  were  compelled  to  go 
to  war  to  fight  for  their  rights.  He  said  the  Boers  did  not  ask 
for  mercy,  but  for  justice  and  right.  After  seeing  President 
Kruger  conducting  public  affairs  in  his  office  in  the  government 
building  for  several  days,  listening  to  hundreds  of  people  with 
all  kinds  of  requests  and  looking  after  the  minutest  details  of 
government  affairs,  I  made  up  my  mind  that  he  was  a  great 
statesman.  And  when  Secretary  Reitz  informed  me  that  the 
President  himself,  at  his  own  home,  planned  the  Battle  of  Co- 
lenso,  where  the  British  lost  eleven  guns  and  many  men  killed, 
wounded  and  taken  prisoners,  I  then  concluded  that  he  was  a 
warrior.  When  I  entered  the  Dopper  church  on  Sunday  morn- 
ing and  heard  the  President  deliver  a  sermon  that  roused  his 
audience  to  remarkable  enthusiasm,  I  concluded  that  President 
Kruger,  though  a  man  of  no  education  in  the  schools,  was  yet 


192  John  Bull's  Crime 

an  orator  of  singular  force  and  power.  Like  Abraham  Lincoln, 
lie  is  a  plain,  homely,  kind-hearted  man — a  child  of  the  common 
people. 

It  was  also  my  pleasure  to  see  President  Steyn,  of  the  Orange 
Free  State,  who  in  appearance  is  a  typical  Boer.  He  is.  in- 
deed, a  magnificent  specimen  of  manhood.  Educated  in  the 
universities  of  England,  he  is  able  to  hold  his  own  with  any 
of  the  English  statesmen.  An  ardent  admirer  of  our  republic, 
he  longs  to  see  both  of  the  South  African  republics  take  it  as 
their  model.  He  said  the  Boers  would  never  give  up  the  fight 
until  the  last  one  of  them  went  to  sleep  forever  beneath  the 
veldt  they  loved  so  well,  and  after  the  old  Boers  are  gone  the 
}oung  ones  will  continue  the  fight  after  they  grow  up  to  be 
men. 

I  also  met  Genera's  Joubert,  Botha.  De  Wet,  Cronje  and 
Burger,  ail  of  whom  were  recognized  as  able  commanders. 
\Mien  we  visited  General  Joubert  at  Hoofd  laager,  near  Lady- 
smith,  we  were  surprised  at  the  total  absence  of  pomp. 

At  night,  before  lying  down  to  sleep,  the  Boers  gathered  to- 
gether and  prayed  for  help  from  the  God  they  love,  and  sang 
psalms.  One  night  as  we  camped  on  the  banks  of  the  Klip 
River,  and  listened  to  the  roar  of  the  cannon  that  sent  the 
deadly  shells  from  Lombard  Kop  into  Ladysmith.  the  music 
from  the  Boer  laager  not  far  away  could  be  heard  whenever 
there  was  a  lull  in  the  firing,  as  the  Boers  sang: 


Lord,  where  will  we  go? 

To  Thee  alone. 

Thou  wilt  not  despise  ns. 

Thy  only  Son.  to  Thy  holy  throne, 

The  way  for  us  has  opened. 


Orations  193 

The  most  popular  commander  among  the  Boers  was  General 
Louis  Botha.  He  is  a  young,  vigorous  man,  a  man  of  splen- 
did physique  and  of  great  courage.  During  one  of  the  battles 
of  the  Tugela  River  he  was  passing  along  the  trenches,  when 
he  noticed  an  apparent  weak  place  in  the  line  where  a  number 
of  Boers  were  killed.  Leaping  into  the  trench,  he  picked  up 
the  rifle  of  one  of  the  dying  Boers  and  began  firing  at  the 
enemy,  and  at  the  same  time  giving  the  order  to  shoot,  in 
Dutch.  This  act  encouraged  the  Boers  all  along  the  line,  and 
they  fought  with  renewed  strength  until  the  British  retired 
again  across  the  Tugela  River. 

At  the  Battle  of  Spion's  Kop  was  an  old  man  with  hair  and 
l)eard  as  white  as  snow,  fighting  by  the  side  of  a  stalwart  man 
of  forty-five  and  a  barefoot  boy  of  twelve  years.  It  was  the 
grandfather,  son  and  grandson — three  generations  fighting  side 
by  side  in  the  cause  of  freedom  and  independence.  This  re- 
minded me  of  a  famous  picture  I  had  seen  when  a  school  boy. 
and  whicli  afterwards  appeared  so  attractive  to  me  in  the  art 
gallery  of  the  Chicago  \\'orkrs  Fair,  which  represented  an  old 
white-haired  man  with  a  l)lo()d-stained  bandage  around  liis 
head,  playing  a  bass  drum.  By  his  side  stood  a  middle-aged 
man,  also  wounded,  playing  the  fife.  By  his  side  was  a  little  lad 
l)eating  a  snare  drum.  They  were  leading  the  farmers  of  the 
Revolution  on  a  battlefield  against  the  same  British  enemy  that 
is  to-day  fighting  the  Boers.  The  picture  was  entitled,  "  The 
Spirit  of  "76."  As  I  looked  upon  it.  it  caused  the  blood  to  rush 
through  my  youthful  veins.  And  when  I  saw  the  three  rep- 
resentatives of  three  generations  fighting  side  by  side  in  the 
Transvaal  I  thought  the  spirit  of  1900  in  the  Republic  of  South 
Africa  was  identical  with  the  spirit  of  '76  in  my  own  beloved 
republic. 


194  Jo^ii  Bull's  Crime 

When  starting  on  our  return  to  Pretoria  from  Ladysmith, 
our  car  was  attached  to  a  hospital  train,  which  was  bearing  the 
wounded  Boers  from  the  battlefields  to  the  hospital  at  Pretoria. 
Among  them  was  a  veteran  seventy-three  years  of  age,  who 
died  soon  after  the  train  started.  There  was  also  among  them 
a  lad  of  fifteen  years  who  had  been  fearfully  wounded.  Sit- 
ting by  his  side  I  talked  with  him,  and  tried  to  encourage  him 
by  saying  that  he  would  get  well.  and.  finally,  when  he  became 
a  man  he  would  be  proud  to  look  back  to  the  time  when  he 
fought  so  nobly  for  his  country.  He  smiled  sweetly  and  said 
he  believed  he  was  going  to  die.  Turning  to  the  noble  Boer 
woman  sitting  by  him  as  a  Red  Cross  nurse,  he  said :  "  Tell 
mother  and  grandmother  that  I  ha\-e  done  my  duty,  that  I  die 
for  my  country,  and  I  die  happy.  Please  tell  them  good-bye  for 
me."  In  a  short  time  thereafter  he  died,  and  the  nurse  clipped 
two  curls  from  his  beautiful  curly  head — one  for  his  mother  and 
one  for  his  grandmother.  Then  she  told  me  the  lad's  name 
was  Paul  Kruger,  Jr.,  the  favorite  grandson  of  President  and 
Mrs.  Kruger.  A  few  days  after  this  sad  occurrence,  in  the 
company  of  Mrs.  Secretary  Reitz,  I  visited  Grandmother  Kru- 
ger. We  found  her  an  old-fashioned,  motherly  woman,  just 
]ike  thousands  of  old  mothers  who  live  in  our  own  country,  and 
when  she  received  the  message  sent  her  by  her  favorite  grand- 
son before  he  died  she  said:  "God  bless  the  boy,  he  was  an 
honor  to  the  mother  who  gave  him  birth,  and  if  I  had  a  thou- 
sand grandsons,  and  loved  them  all  as  dearly  as  I  loved  little 
Paul.  God  knows  I  would  give  them  all,  if  need  be,  to  my 
•country." 

The  valor  of  little  Paul  Kruger,  who  fought  and  died  for  his 
-country,  should  be  an  inspiration  to  these  thousands  of  school 
toys  assembled  here  to-night  in  this  great  city  of  brotherly  love. 


Orations  195 

which  was  the  cradle  of  our  own  youthful  republic.  Here  in 
this  city  our  ancestors  were  the  boys  of  the  Revolution,  who 
toiled  and  struggled  for  freedom  and  for  justice,  and  here  they 
laid  the  foundation  of  this  ideal  republic  of  history,  and  passed 
tlirough  the  same  ordeal  that  the  boys  as  well  as  the  men  are 
passing  through  in  the  Republic  of  South  Africa.  Is  it  any 
wonder  that  our  heartfelt  sympathy  goes  out  to  the  struggling 
patriots  of  South  Africa?  Is  it  any  w^onder  that  our  hearts 
bleed  for  those  brave  patriots  who  laid  down  their  lives  as  a 
willing  sacrifice  upon  their  country's  altar?  Ah.  yes,  they  do 
love  liberty  just  as  our  fathers  loved  liberty! 

The  love  of  liberty  is  a  passion  that  has  been  wont  to  spring 
in  the  hearts  of  men  since  time  began.  So  soon  as  their  minds 
began  to  expand  under  education,  however  crude,  in  their 
breasts  the  fires  of  liberty  began  to  Ijurn.  In  all  ages  and  in  all 
lands  that  passion  has  lived  and  defied  cliains  and  dungeons 
and  rocks  to  crush  it.  It  has  strewn  the  earth  with  its  monu- 
ments and  shed  undying  lustre  on  a  thousand  fields  whereon  it 
has  battled  througli  tlie  night  of  ages !  Even  the  wild  beast  in 
its  lair,  in  the  tangled  jungle  or  the  mountain  glen,  will  fight 
and  die  for  liberty !  The  eagle  loves  liberty  as  it  flies  from  crag 
to  crag  on  the  summit  of  the  Rockies!  Liberty,  sweet  word,  is 
heard  iii  the  song  of  tlie  birds  as  they  sing  amid  the  spreading 
boughs  of  the  palmetto  and  magnolia  of  the  sunny  southland! 
The  love  of  liberty  is  in  the  hearts  of  the  mountaineers  as  they 
joyously  call  to  each  other  from  clift"  to  clift"  on  the  Alpine 
heights !  'Twas  the  love  of  liberty  that  filled  the  hearts  of  the 
rugged  pioneers  of  the  long  ago.  as  they  left  their  homes  in 
northern  Europe  to  plant  the  germs  of  civilization  in  the  wilds 
of  South  Africa !  The  same  love  of  liberty  prompted  them  to 
flee  from.  British  tyranny  and  oppression  into  the  interior  parts 


196  John  Bull's  Crime 

of  that  unknown  continent.  And  in  a  hand  to  hand  struggle 
with  wild  beasts  and  still  wilder  savages,  they  founded  the  two 
South  African  republics.  And  poor  old  Cronje,  sitting  on  the 
barren  Isle  of  St.  Helena,  doul)tless  sighs  for  liberty  and  a  fu- 
ture republic.  And  many  a  stalwart  Boer,  as  he  lies  at  night  on 
the  veldt  of  South  Africa,  with  head  pillowed  on  his  saddle  and 
his  face  turned  up  toward  the  southern  cross,  dreams  of  lib- 
erty. And  the  lonely  Beer  mother  on  the  farm  on  the  veldt 
longs  for  liberty  as  she  sings  the  sweet  lullaby  that  soothes  her 
babe  to  sleep.  The  same  love  for  liljerty  has  prompted  our  own 
soldiers  in  all  the  battles  of  our  republic  to  perform  deeds  of 
valor  unsurpassed  in  the  annals  of  mankind.  Because  of  this 
undying  love  we  have  built  the  altars  of  liberty  and  equality 
of  rights  on  our  hill  tops  and  in  our  valleys  and  on  our  spread- 
ing plains  and  amid  God's  wondrous  temples  in  our  picturescjue 
woodlands,  and  have  invited  the  genius  of  the  earth  to  worship 
at  their  shrines.  And  to-night  the  prayer  of  every  true  Ameri- 
can patriot  should  be — 

Great    God,    we  thank   Thee   for   this   our   home, 

In  this  bounteous  birthland  of  the  free. 
Where  wanderers  from  afar  may  come 

And  breathe  the  air  of  liberty. 
Still  may  Thy  flowers  untrampled  spring, 

Thy  harvests  wsve.  Thy  cities  rise. 
And  yet  till  time  shall  fold  his  wing. 

Remain.  O  remain,  our  cherished  paradise ! 


Address  delivered  at  a  Boer  mass  meeting  at  the  Academy 
of  Music  in  New  York  City  on  the  night  of  May  6th,  1900 : 

Until  the  commencement  of  the  present  war  in  South  Africa 
but  little  had  been  written  concerning  that  most  interesting  part 


Orations  197 

of  the  world.  But  now  the  eyes  of  all  civilized  people  are  turn- 
ing toward  it.  and  all  seem  anxious  to  learn  more  about  it. 
The  questions  that  naturally  arise  are.  What  are  the  natural  re- 
sources of  the  country?  its  physical  aspects?  its  climate?  its 
prospects  for  future  development?  its  solution  of  the  native 
question  ?  and  especially  its  chances  for  good  government  in  the 
future,  when  justice  and  liberty  shall  prevail,  and  when  there 
shall  be  some  unity  of  action  on  the  part  of  the  forces  of  Chris- 
tianity and  civilization  toward  the  cuhnination  of  the  fond 
ideal  of  the  Afrikander,  namely,  the  ultimate  rule  of  the  whole 
of  South  Africa  as  one  mighty  republic  with  a  glorious  sister- 
hood of  states?  A  United  States  of  Africa  like  a  United  States 
of  America — a  U.  S.  A.  south  of  the  equator  as  well  as  a 
U.  S.  A.  north  of  the  equator.  Such  certainly  is  the  only  hope 
for  the  highest  civilization  and  the  greatest  possible  develop- 
ment of  that  country's  natural  resources.  The  part  of  the  great 
Dark  Continent  usually  referred  to  as  South  Africa  embraces 
about  one  and  a  quarter  million  square  miles  and  takes  in  all  the 
country  south  of  the  Zambesi  River.  This  immense  territory 
is  now  divided  into  the  following  divisions :  Cape  Colony, 
Natal.  Zululand,  Basutoland,  British  Bechuanaland,  The  Pro- 
tectorate of  Bechuanaland,  and  The  Chartered  Company's  Ter- 
ritory in  IMashonaland,  Zambesia  and  Xyasaland,  all  of  which 
are  regarded  as  British  possessions.  Then  there  are  several 
quasi-independent  native  territories,  such  as  Pondoland,  Swaz- 
ieland,  Anatongaland.  ]\Iatabeleland  and  Ugandaland.  Then  the 
Portuguese  possessions,  including  Gazaland,  stretching  on  the 
East  African  coast  from  Delagoa  Bay  to  Mozambique.  Then  on 
the  West  African  coast  are  the  territories  of  Great  Namaqua- 
land  and  Damaraland  under  the  acknowledged  protectorate  of 
Germany.    And  last,  but  by  no  means  least,  are  the  divisions 


198  John  Bull's  Crime 

known  as  the  Orange  Free  State  and  the  South  African  Repnb- 
hc.  These  constitute  the  southern  portion  of  the  most  mysteri- 
ous continent  known  to  mankind.  A  continent  that  has  been  the 
birthplace  of  the  oldest  and  greatest  ci\'ilization  known  to  the 
world  and  yet  is  to-day  in  its  interior  parts  the  darkest  and 
most  benighted  part  of  the  universe.  Were  all  these  divisions 
fused  into  one  republic,  that  repul)lic  would  be  almost  half  as 
large  in  extent  as  the  United  States  of  America,  and  more  than 
half  as  large  as  the  Great  Russian  Empire,  while  Great  Britain, 
France,  Spain,  Germany,  Austria  and  Italy  could  be  placed  in  it, 
and  then  there  would  be  enough  land  left  to  make  a  state  almost 
half  as  large  as  Norway  and  Sweden  combined.  This  exten- 
sive territory  consists  of  majestic  mountains  with  scenery  of 
marx'elous  beauty  and  with  valleys  unsurpassed  in  fertility. 
Indeed,  in  gazing  over  the  country  from  the  summit  of  the  Alps, 
or  in  looking  (Hit  over  the  plains  of  Lombardy,  one  scarcely 
sees  anything  approaching  the  view  to  be  had  from  the  top  of 
the  Drakensburg  mountains.  In  this  territory  also  are  table- 
lands or  inland  plains  that  are  especially  well  adapted  to  cattle 
grazing  or  agricultural  purposes,  and  yet  at  the  same  time  in 
parts  of  it  are  to  be  found  sandy  deserts  absolutely  barren  and 
worthless.  Much  of  these,  however,  may  in  time  be  trans- 
formed into  fruitful  fields,  for  it  has  already  been  demonstrated 
that  as  increased  efforts  are  made  to  irrigate  the  soil  and  to  in- 
crease the  area  of  cultivated  land  the  rainfall  is  thereby  in- 
creased, and  this  soil  has  been  found  to  be  marvelously  pro- 
ductive when  it  has  received  sufficient  moisture.  Almost  any- 
thing that  is  grown  in  tropical  and  in  temperate  latitudes  can 
be  grown  in  this  territory.  Flowers  of  every  ^•ariety  and  fruits 
of  everv  description  prevail  upon  every  hand.  Vegetables  of 
everv  varietv  and  cereals  of  all  kinds  can  be  produced  in  great 


Orations  199 

quantities.  It  could  in  reality  become  a  land  of  corn  and  wine, 
and  of  milk  and  honey.  With  a  climate  that  is  delig-htfnl,  a 
clear  atmosi)here,  pnre  air  and  most  brilliant  sunshine.  Under 
the  soil  all  kinds  of  minerals  are  found,  while  its  diamond  and 
gold  fields  are  unequalled  in  the  known  world.  Had  it  not  been 
for  the  discovery  of  diamonds  and  gold  in  that  country,  it  is 
quite  certain  that  the  attention  of  but  few  people  from  other 
continents  would  now  be  directed  toward  it.  The  white  people 
of  South  Africa  are,  of  course,  greatly  outnumbered  1)v  the 
negro  race  in  every  division.  The  white  ])opulation  is  com- 
posed of  almost  all  races,  the  Dutch,  however,  being  largely  in 
the  majority,  and.  as  they  are  a  very  prolific  race,  likelv  to 
continue  the  dominant  force  among  the  white  peoples.  In  the 
Orange  Free  State  and  South  African  Republic  and  in  Cape 
Colony  the  Dutch  greatly  outnumber  the  Britons,  and  they  are 
indeed  a  sturdy  race.  Physically  thev  have  no  superiors.  In 
morality,  temperance,  honesty,  frugality  and  generosity  they 
are  unsurpassed.  It  is  true  that  they  are  somewhat  stubborn, 
tenacious  and  jealous  of  their  rights.  Their  love  for  liberty 
is  as  strong  as  that  of  our  own  revolutionary  fathers  and  moth- 
ers whose  deeds  of  valor  and  suffering  challenged  the  admi- 
ration of  the  world  and  made  the  name  *'  America  "  the  sym- 
bol everywhere  for  freedom  and  equality  of  rights.  As  Dutch 
men  and  women  originally,  the  British  yoke  is  chafing  to  them. 
They  feel  that  as  they  are  tlie  dominant  white  race  in  South 
Africa  and  have  endured  so  much  for  liberty,  and  through  un- 
exampled hardships  and  trials  have  planted  the  earliest  germs 
of  civilization  there,  that  in  consequence  they  are  justified  in 
demanding  self-government.  And  they  feel  that  they,  in  con- 
junction with  all  native  Afrikanders  regardless  of  ancestrv, 
should  be  permitted  to  govern  themselves  independent  of  Great 


200  John  Bull's  Crime 

Britain  or  any  other  foreign  power.     The  country  is  their  coun- 
try.    Theirs  by  right  of  discovery,  theirs  by  right  of  possession, 
theirs  bv  rigl:t  of  justice,  theirs  by  all  rules  of  equity  and  civil- 
ization.     In  the  interest  of  humanity  and  civilization  we  believe 
there  should  be  a  free  fusion  of  all  elements  in  South  African 
life,  a  free  economic  and  social  fusion.     This  would  certainly  be 
better  for  all  the  people  and  better  for  the  country.     It  would 
settle  for  all  time  the  various  questions  arising  out  of  the  differ- 
ent tariff  regulations  in  the  different  divisions  as  at  present  con- 
stituted under  the  various  governments.     It  would  also  result 
in  lessening  the  burdens  of  taxation,  for  it  would  do  away  with 
numerous  governments  and  substitute  therefor  one  government 
of  much  greater  strength  and  stability.      Thus  would  the  coun- 
try become  not  only  much  richer  commercially,  but  a  thousand- 
fold stronger  politically.      The  Dutch  have  the  strongest  grip 
upon  the  soil  of  South  Africa  and  are  much  more  closely  assim- 
ilated with  the  natural  enxironment.  and  the  proper  cix'ilization 
can  never  be  brought  alx^ut  by  the  process  of  the  British  race 
making  war  upon  the  Dutch  continuously  and  trampling  them 
under  foot.     As  Pere  Hyacinthe  said  in  Notre  Dame:     "The 
Little  States — they  are  the  radiating  centres  of  the  most  splen- 
did civilization  from  the  days  of  ancient  Greece,  which  gave  us 
an  .Tlschvlus,  a  Sophocles,  an  Aristides  and  a  Plato,  down  to 
tliose  republics  of  modern  Italy,  to  which  we  owe  the  revival  of 
learning."  So  from  the  two  little  struggling  republics  of  South 
Africa  will  come  the  mightier  republic  which  shall  take  its  place 
bv  the  side  of  its  sister  republics  in  the  great  competitive  race 
of    nati(^ns.      A    republic    wherein    freedom    and    equality    of 
rights  shall  prevail  and  have  a  lasting  abiding  place,  a  republic 
wherein  manhood  reigns  alone  and  every  citizen  is  king.     A 
republic  with  one  people,  one  flag  and  one  destiny.     In  it  life, 


Orations  201 

lil)erty  and  property  and  all  personal  rights  will  be  amply  se- 
cured to  all  citizens  and  protected  by  just  and  stable  laws, 
where  public  and  private  credit  will  be  thoroughly  established, 
and  in  all  of  its  interests  and  concerns  it  will  partake  of  the  im- 
provements and  progress  of  the  times.  Then  will  the  future- 
historian  on  pages  bedewed  with  generous  tears  tell  of  the 
heroic  struggles  of  the  men  and  women  who  founded  that  re- 
public. Tliey  whose  ancestors  stood  firm  and  courageous  be- 
fore the  Spanish  Inquisition  when  they  began  their  great 
struggle  for  freedom  and  right,  and  wdiose  brave  spirit  was 
unbroken  by  the  cruelties  and  hardships  heaped  upon  them  by 
Louis  XIV..  and  how  after  many  years  of  trials  and  tribula- 
tions the  new  republic  of  South  Africa  grew  to  be  not  a  dream, 
but  an  established  fact.  We  are  told  that  in  the  pious  and 
magnificent  structures  of  the  great  temples  of  Mohammedan 
faith  the  indestructible  and  infinitely  divisible  fragrance  of  the 
attar  of  roses  was  mixed  by  the  l)uilders  with  the  mortar  with 
w  hich  the  mass  was  held  together ;  and  annually  ever  since 
thousands  of  worshippers  have  worn  the  stone  pavement  of 
the  structures  for  a  hundred  generations  and  yet  find  their 
prayers  still  imbued  with  the  undying  fragrance  of  this  un- 
exhausted and  inexhaustible  perfume.  Then  wdll  the  citizens  of 
that  new  South  African  Republic,  as  they  view  its  great  masses 
of  wealth,  its  teeming  population  and  its  growing  powder,  realize 
that  it  is  the  structure  that  their  fathers  built,  but  which  they 
occupy,  and  that  it  is  but  the  assemblage  of  tlie  great  material 
structure  that  built  up  to  the  visible  eye  a  temple.  But  the 
cement  that  holds  it  all  together  is  perfumed  l)v  the  great  vir- 
tues and  the  sweet  influences  of  the  men  and  women  who  laid 
the  foundation  of  this  moral  structure,  and  they  must  not  and 
will  not  lose  that  perfume,   for.  if  they  do,  that  cement  wdll 


202  John  Bull's  Crime 

crumble  and  the  structure  be  destroyed.  Should  the  British 
by  overwhelming  numbers  succeed  in  conquering  the  Boers  in 
the  present  struggle,  it  will  avail  nothing,  for  freedom  crushed 
to  earth  will  again  rise,  and  the  Afrikander  spirit  will  live  on 
and  on  until  finally  success  will  crown  its  efforts.  Future 
generations  will  take  up  the  burden  where  their  stricken  fathers 
laid  it  down,  and  the  outcome  is  certain.  The  world's  history 
is  full  of  the  records  of  the  rise  and  fall  of  empires  and  king- 
doms— of  the  dazzling  pomp  and  splendor  of  the  march  of 
kings  and  queens,  who  hated  liberty  and  justice,  but  who  loved 
tyranny  and  oppression,  who  went  down  into  oblivion — and 
to-day  the  antiquarian  digs  and  delves  amid  the  ruins  of  their 
capitals  to  find  some  token  of  remembrance  worthy  of  trans- 
mittal to  succeeding  generations.  But  in  all  nations  wdierein 
the  altars  of  liberty  were  erected  the  fires  glowed  thereon  as 
beacon  lights  along  the  patliway  of  the  centuries  to  guide 
liberty-loving  people  back  to  the  lines  whereon  tlieir  fathers 
stood  when  they  reddened  them  with  the  crimson  tide  of  their 
lives.  When  Frederick  the  Great  seized  a  province  loosely  at- 
tached to  the  Austrian  Empire  all  the  monarchies  of  Europe 
were  shocked.  And  yet  at  that  time  those  monarchies  had 
never  heard  of  the  principles  of  the  French  Revolution.  If  that 
v/as  true  then,  how  could  it  be  possible  now,  in  this  glorious 
evening  of  the  Nineteenth  Century,  for  democratic  America 
to  have  any  feeling  but  that  of  the  deepest  indignation  for  an 
attempt  to  destroy  the  lives  and  liberties  of  the  brave  people  of 
two  of  its  sister  republics?  The  great  masses  of  our  people 
do  sympathize  with  the  Boers  to-day.  They  stand  for  liberty, 
for  civilization,  for  self-government  and  for  peace.  And  every 
effort  possible  should  be  put  forth  by  them  to  bring  the  unholy 
war  in  South  Africa  to  a  close.     Since  our  country's  splendid 


Orations 


203 


prowess  was  proved  in  the  late  war  with  Spain,  and  our  ria\  y 
sent  the  boasted  Spanish  fleets  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea  without 
the  loss  of  any  of  our  own  ships,  all  foreign  countries  have 
learned  the  important  lesson  of  looking  upon  this  new  republic 
as  one  of  the  greatest  powers  in  the  world,  as  an  important 
factor,  indeed,  in  the  march  of  nations  along  the  highway  of 
civilization  and  progress.  In  truth,  when  the  guns  of  our 
warships  sent  their  awful  missiles  crashing  through  the  Spanish 
ships,  then  it  was  that  this  great  Republic  of  the  West  burst 
like  a  young  giant  through  the  barriers  of  centuries  and  ushered 
itself  into  the  council  chambers  of  the  world's  greatest  powers, 
where  it  will  demand  a  seat  at  that  council  table  if  it  has  to 
make  one  for  itself.  In  consequence  of  all  this,  to-day  many 
foreign  countries  are  slow  to  act  in  any  cause  in  which  they 
are  led  to  believe  by  the  British  press  and  British  oflkials 
that  this  country  is  supporting  Great  Britain  in  any  of  her 
greedy,  selfish  schemes.  In  foreign  countries  to-day  the  repre- 
sentatives and  sympathizers  of  the  British  go\'ernment  are 
striving  to  create  the  impression  that  there  is  a  secret  under- 
standing or  a  secret  alliance  between  our  government  and  tlie 
British  government.  This  must  not  be.  We  cannot,  as  xA.meri- 
can  freemen,  whose  ancestors  on  many  battlefields  gave  their 
lives  for  liberty  and  independence,  withhold  our  sympathies 
from  the  farmers  of  the  Transvaal  and  Orange  Free  State  as 
they  chastise  those  who  in  mockery  of  Britain's  great  principles 
and  in  disgrace  of  her  great  fame  seek  to  exterminate  a  civil- 
ized people  and  to  destroy  their  precious  liberties.  This  re- 
public was  once  moved  by  a  generous  desire  to  aid  a  young 
ambitious  country  and  it  took  the  first  step  and  leadership  in 
the  movement  to  revise  the  treaties,  and  thus  Japan  made  a 
lofty  stride  upward  and  onward.     But  even  then  Great  Britain 


204  Jo^^  Bull's  Crime 

hastened  to  antedate  our  country  and  tried  to  rob  it  of  the  credit 
that  was  its  due.  By  our  treaties  with  China  we  were  so 
considerate  and  fair  that  had  she  followed  our  unselfish  advice, 
to-day,  instead  of  being  on  the  verge  of  dissolution,  she  might 
have  been  one  of  the  greatest  empires  in  all  the  world.  In 
Korea,  too,  our  republic  has  exerted  a  helpful  influence  and 
stimulated  and  encouraged  her,  while  Siam  continually  looks  to 
our  nation  for  encouragement  and  moral  support  as  she  strug- 
gles on  in  her  honest  efforts  to  make  a  respectable  showing  in 
the  realms  of  progress.  We  should  be  ready  to  hear  the  cry 
for  help  from  the  struggling  people  of  the  two  little  South 
African  republics,  for  Chamberlain  has  attempted  to  domi- 
nate and  dictate  in  their  internal  affairs  just  as  George  III. 
interfered  in  the  affairs  of  our  own  colonies.  Indeed,  England 
has  trodden  truth  under  foot  and  trampled  honor  and  good 
faith  in  the  dust.  And  were  she  to  conquer  the  Boers,  there 
is  no  doubt  in  the  world  that  they  would  be  compelled  to  suffer 
as  the  people  of  Ireland  have  suffered  for  centuries.  There, 
the  country  was  given  over  to  fire  and  sword,  and  men  and 
Vv'omen,  old  and  young,  and  children,  were  murdered  indis» 
criminately.  Indeed,  there  is  nothing  blacker  or  more  despica- 
ble in  the  annals  of  nations  than  England's  treatment  of  the 
unfortunate  people  of  the  Emerald  Isle.  British  greed  and 
lust  for  gold  hath  made  countless  millions  mourn.  And  British 
cruelty  is  proverbial.  And  yet  the  British  nation  poses  before 
the  world  as  the  great  civilizer  whose  mission  in  life  is  to 
subdue  savage  tribes  and  disseminate  the  germs  of  civilization 
among  them.  According  to  their  theory  the  Boers  are  savages 
ar.d  must  be  civilized,  even  if  they  have  to  shoot  civilization 
into  them  with  lyddite  guns  and  dum-dum  bullets.  During 
one  battle  on  the  Tugela  River  two  thousand  lyddite  shells 


Orations  205 

fell  among  the  Boers,  and  though  at  the  Hague  Convention 
dum-dum  bullets  were  condemned  by  the  representatives  of  the 
civilized  world  as  fit  only  for  the  guns  of  savages,  yet  I  have 
now  in  my  possession  three  unexploded  dum-dum  cartridges 
that  I  picked  up  on  the  top  of  Spion's  Kop  in  the  trenches 
that  had  been  occupied  by  the  British  troops,  and  I  have  also 
two  exploded  dum-dum  bullets  that  were  given  me  by  a  surgeon 
as  he  extracted  them  from  the  bodies  of  two  dead  Boers.  To 
my  mind  this  is  sufficient  proof  that  dum-dum  bullets  were 
used  to  some  extent  at  least  by  the  aforesaid  alleged  civilizer's 
troops  in  that  engagement.  Numerous  have  been  the  instances 
of  British  cruelty  on  the  battlefields  of  South  Africa,  such  as 
the  abuse  of  the  wdiite  flag  and  the  firing  upon  the  Red  Cross. 
And  the  conduct  of  the  British  troops,  especially  the  lancers, 
has  no  parallel  in  modern  warfare.  In  proof  of  this  we  have 
onlv  to  quote  from  descriptive  letters  written  home  by  the 
troops  themselves.  Also  from  letters  written  by  w-ar  corres- 
pondents in  English  new^spapers.  As  an  illustration  let  me 
quote  from  Mr.  H.  W.  Xevinson.  special  war  correspondeiit  of 
the  Daily  London  Chronicle,  in  his  account  of  the  Battle  of 
Elandslaagte,  published  November  20th,  1899.     He  says: 

"'Cease  fire!'  had  sounded  several  times  on  the  summit, 
but  the  firing  did  not  cease.  I  don't  know  why  it  was.  Per- 
haps the  Boers  w^ere  still  resting  in  parts.  Certainly  many  of 
our  men  were  drunk  with  excitement.  '  Wipe  out  ]\Iajuba !  ' 
was  a  constant  cry.  But  the  Boers  had  gone.  The  remnants 
of  them  were  struggling  to  get  away  in  the  twilight  over  a 
bit  of  rocky  plain  on  our  left.  Then  the  Dragoon  Guards  got 
them,  and  three  times  went  through.  A  Dragoon  Guards  cor- 
poral w^ho  was  there  tells  me  the  Boers  fell  off  their  horses  and 
rolled  among  the  rocks,  hiding  their  heads  in  their  arms  and 


2o6  Jol^i^  Bull's  Crime 

calling  for  mercy — calling  to  be  shot — anything  to  escape  the 
stab  of  those  terrible  lances  through  their  backs  and  bowels. 
But  not  many  escaped.  '  We  just  gave  them  a  good  dig  as 
they  lay.'  were  the  corporal's  words.  Next  day  most  of  the 
lances  were  bloody."  Such  was  the  conduct  of  the  soldiers  of 
the  great  empire  that  i)oasts  of  its  civilization,  and  which  is 
wont  to  refer  to  the  Boers  as  cruel,  bloodthirsty  savages.  The 
Uitlanders  of  the  South  African  Republic  claimed  that  the  fran- 
chise was  their  sole  desire,  but  afterwards  they  failed  to  accept 
a  fair  franchise  when  it  was  offered  them.  They  declared  tliat 
they  desired  the  mining  industry  as  well,  and  also  desired  the 
prosperity  of  the  masses,  but  afterwards  they  made  frantic  at- 
tempts to  acquire  monopolistic  control  and  to  crown  the  capital- 
ist king,  to  the  detriment  of  the  multitude  and  the  injury  of  the 
republic.  They  protested  that  they  coveted  no  man's  lands 
and  yet  they  organized  Jameson's  raid,  and  started  the  war 
which  is  now  l)eing  Waged  at  the  instance  of  the  wealthy  and 
for  the  satisfaction  of  their  golden  lusts.  Thev  said  thev 
sought  assimilation  and  participation,  not  authority  and  power, 
yet  they  hurled  abuse  at  the  people  of  the  Republic  and  its 
government,  invented  stories  of  oppression  and  heavy  bur- 
dens, of  atrocities  and  barbarities.  Their  plan  was  to  possess 
the  land  of  the  Boer  and  everything  that  is  his.  But  that  plan 
so  far  has  failed,  and  to-day  the  world  is  beginning  to  learn 
that  their  schemes  were  covetous  and  unholy,  and  that  their 
woeful  story  of  the  grievous  lot  of  the  dweller  in  the  Transvaal 
was  but  a  tale  of  their  own  imagining,  meant  to  move  the 
world  to  tears  and  indignation,  while  they  crept  in  under 
cover  of  sympathy  and  seized  the  land  they  so  deeply  desired. 

Oh,   my  countrymen,   let   the   whole   world  know  that  our 
sympathies  are  not  with  monarchies  and  not  with  tvranny  and 


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Orations  207 

oppression,  but  with  republics,  and  with  freedom,  justice  and 
cquaHty  of  rights.  For,  as  in  the  olden  times,  when  the  im- 
perial eagles  looked  upon  a  consolidated  empire  from  the  Orient 
to  the  Occident,  "  all  roads  led  to  Rome,"  so  now,  in  this 
evening  of  this  marvelous  Nineteenth  Century,  in  this  new 
world  of  vast  extent  and  varied  interests,  all  roads  lead  to 
this  republic.  Whatever  there  is  elsewhere  of  thrift,  of  energy, 
of  prosperity,  whatever  of  intellect  and  of  culture,  this  re- 
public gathers  tribute  of  the  harvest.  Here,  indeed,  is  the 
reservoir  of  the  world's  wealth  and  of  the  world's  energies. 
Here  are  collecting  the  mightiest  forces  of  all  nations.  Oh, 
may  our  beloved  banner  ever  be  the  symbol  of  justice  and 
equality ! 


Speech  delivered  at  the  Democratic  National  Convention  at 
Kansas  City,  ]\Io.,  July  5th,  1900: 

Air.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen — I  appreciate  very  highly  the 
honor  conferred  upon  me  by  inviting  me  to  say  a  few  words 
at  this  time,  and  I  shall  detain  you  but  a  moment.  I  have 
been  honored  highly  l^y  another  party  than  this  in  the  past. 
I  have  served  that  party  well,  and  have  rendered  services  as 
good  as  the  honor  I  received,  and  the  account  is  balanced  now. 
Life,  human  life,  is  but  a  narrow  span  between  two  great  un- 
known eternities,  and  life  is  too  short  for  a  man  to  sacrifice 
his  principles  or  his  love  of  country  for  money  or  for  ofiice  in 
this  republic.  I  have  never  yet  read  or  heard  a  platform  that 
was  so  intensely  American  as  the  platform  read  here  in  this 
convention.  Old  conditions  have  passed  away,  old  questions 
have  passed  and  gone,  many  of  them,  and  new  questions  are 
now  before  the  American  people.   I  care  not  a  snap  of  my  finger 


2o8  John  Bull's  Crime 

for  public  or  private  criticism.  I  care  nothing  for  office,  for 
i  have  voluntarily  given  up  one  better  than  any  you  can  give 
me,  and  the  man  or  newspaper  that  makes  the  statement  that 
I  was  forced  to  leave  the  administration  against  my  will  abso- 
lutely, unqualifiedly  and  maliciously  lies. 

I  love  liberty.  I  l;)\e  equality  of  rights,  and  I  love  justice. 
And  when  the  party  that  I  belong  to  has  been  too  cowardly  to 
take  a  stand  for  liberty,  and  for  a  republican  form  of  govern- 
ment as  against  the  British  aristocracy  and  monarchy,  I  leave  it 
and  lea\'e  it  for  good. 

In  every  part  of  Europe  and  Africa  the  charge  is  made  by 
the  British  press  and  the  British  officials  that  there  is  a  secret 
alliance  Ijetween  this  country  and  Great  Britain  to  the  effect 
that,  in  case  of  any  foreign  nation  attempting  to  interfere  in 
behalf  of  the  poor  Boers,  this  republic  will  stand  by  Great 
Britain  with  its^irmy  and  its  navy.  I  have  yet  to  hear  of 
the  administration  denying  that  report.  I  defended  the  ad- 
ministration in  every  address  I  made  in  behalf  of  the  Boers 
since  my  unfortunate  visit  to  their  country — for  me,  I  say  un- 
fortunate financially  and  politically — but  I  say  now  I  will  never 
defend  it  again,  because  it  has  not  taken  the  opportunity  at  its 
national  convention  to  tell  the  American  people  that  we  are  for 
liberty  and  a  republican  form  of  government.  Liberty — we 
all  love  the  splendid  word — the  sweetest  word  that  ever 
blossomed  upon  th.e  tongues  of  men,  and  as  one  great  Republi- 
can Senator  said  recently  in  the  United  States  Senate,  it  has 
come  to  pass  that  we  must  whisper  the  word  liberty  in  Wash- 
ington. 

Is  it  a  fact  that  liberty  is  to  become  obsolete  in  the  American 
lexicon?     Is  it  a  fact  that  this  great  republic  must  chain  itself 


Orations  209 

to  the  chariot  wheels  of  the  British  Empire  in  its  mad  race  for 
land  and  gold  ? 

I  sympathize  with  people  struggling  for  liberty  everywhere. 
I  sympathized  with  those  who  struggled  for  liberty  in  Greece 
and  Armenia;  I  sympathized  with  those  who  struggled  for 
liberty  in  every  country. 

And  when  the  war  broke  out  with  Spain,  we  said  then  that  it 
was  not  a  war  for  conquest,  not  a  war  for  glory,  but  a  war  to 
carry  liberty  to  people  v  ho  were  crying  for  help  at  our  feet. 
And  the  boys  marched  up  frc^n  the  northland,  whose  fathers 
once  marched  in  tattered  blue,  with  the  song  their  fathers  loved 
upon  their  lips,  "  My  country,  'tis  of  thee  we  sing;  "  and  the 
boys  came  from  the  southland,  they  whose  fathers  once 
marched  in  tattered  gray,  to  the  music  of  "  Wa}'  Down  South 
in  Dixie,"  and  they  all  followed  the  man  who  once  led  the 
northern  and  southern  armies  down  to  Cuba,  to  Porto  Rico 
and  into  other  islands  of  the  sea.  They  marched  under  one 
flag,  in  behalf  of  one  country,  to  the  music  of  one  splendid 
melody,  as  they  felt  in  their  hearts  the  song  that  inspired  the 
men  in  the  days  gone  by — 

In  the  lieauty  of  the  lilies,  Christ  was  horn  across  the  sea; 
'As  He  died  to  make  men  holy,  let  iis  die  to  make  men  free ! 

Up  until  that  point  the  war  was  right,  but  when  we  passed 
beyond  that  point  the  administration  went  too  far.  But  it  was 
another  indication  of  following  in  the  footsteps  of  Great 
Britain.  When  our  flag  rose  over  the  flag  of  the  rotten  Spanish 
monarchv  tb.e  American  Republic  could  not  resist  the  tempta- 
tion then  of  following  in  the  footsteps  of  Great  Britain,  and  it 


2IO  John  Bull's  Crime 

thirsted  for  land  and  gold,  and  that  is  where  the  mistake  was 
made.  We  should  have  stopped  at  the  end  of  the  Spanish  vic- 
tory, when  we  brought  liberty  to  the  people  who  were  being 
ground  to  death  under  the  heel  of  Spanish  tyranny. 

We  do  love  liberty.  The  masses  of  the  American  people 
stand  for  the  blessed  idea  of  liberty,  justice  and  equality  of 
rights,  and  I  dare  say  to-day  if  it  \i:ere  possible  to  get  the  news 
over  the  British  cables  to  the  farmers  in  the  two  South  African 
republics  that  these  representatives  of  seven  million  American 
voters  send  a  word  of  sympathy  to  them,  many  a  Boer  would 
shout  for  joy  in  the  hills  of  the  Transvaal.  A  grander  struggle 
for  liberty  was  ne\'er  made  in  all  the  world's  history  than 
the  struggle  now  being  made  l)v  the  rei)ul)licans  and  demo- 
crats in  South  Africa.  Let  us  sympathize  with  them.  I  am 
glad  that  you  have  adopted  a  strong  resolution  in  their  favor 
to-day.  At  the  polls  in  November  follow  it  up.  Let  American 
principles  ever  live.  Let  them  go  (k)wn  for  years  to  come  as 
an  inspiration  to  generations  yet  unborn.  Liberty,  love  of  lib- 
erty, one  flag,  one  country,  one  splendid  destiny !  I  stand  upon 
this  platform  and  support  for  president  William  Jennings 
Bryan ! 


Extract  of  speech  delivered  before  the  Fusion  Convention  at 
Fort  Scott.  Kansas.  July  25,  1900: 

Not  long  ago  in  the  capital  of  our  repul:)lic  I  took  occasion 
to  tell  of  the  heroism  and  chi\'alry  of  the  fighting  Boer,  when 
a  British  sympathizer  sarcastically  remarked,  "  O,  he  is  only  a 
farmer  and  nothing  more."  Then  I  thought  of  the  man  w^ho 
in  the  long  ago  planted  tb.e  first  germs  of  civilization  in  South 


Orations  21 1 

Africa,  whose  fathers  followed  \Mlliam  the  Silent  when  he 
wrested  liberty  from  the  hand  of  the  Spanish  tyrant,  and  I  re- 
membered they  were  only  farmers  and  nothing  more.  And 
who  was  it  that  fought  the  wild  beasts  and  the  still  wilder 
savages  of  that  mysterious  land  in  order  to  lay  the  foundation 
of  two  splendid  little  republics  for  the  happiness  of  their  pos- 
.  terity  ?    It  was  only  farmers  and  nothing  more. 

Ah,  yes,  it  was  only  a  farmer  and  nothing  more  who 
climbed  the  steep  sides  of  Majuba  Hill  to  drive  from  its  summit 
the  soldiers  of  British  tyranny  and  oppression,  and  who  at 
Bronkhorst  Spruit  and  Lang's  Nek  fought  like  chivalrous 
knights  of  old  for  liberty,  justice  and  equality. 

It  was  only  a  farmer  and  nothing  more  who  at  Spion's  Kop 
performed  deeds  of  valor  unsurpassed  in  the  annals  of  war, 
who,  leaping  like  a  panther  from  boulder  to  boulder,  ascended 
that  hill  amid  a  fearful  storm  of  leaden  hail,  and  covered  its 
summit  with  wounded  and  dying  British,  and  drove  the  sur- 
vivors back  across  the  Tugela  River. 

It  was  only  a  farmer  and  nothing  more  who  in  the  embank- 
ments of  Modder  River,  with  but  three  thousand  comrades,  with 
only  four  cannon  and  two  Maxims,  for  six  days  held  in  check 
the  flower  of  the  British  army,  consisting  of  forty  thousand  men, 
under  command  of  the  greatest  general  of  the  British  empire, 
with  one  hundred  of  the  greatest  cannon  to  be  found  in  all  the 
world,  but  finally  yielded  to  overwhelming  numbers  and  now 
lies  dreaming  at  St.  Helena  of  liberty  and  a  future  republic. 

I  remember,  too,  that  in  our  own  land  it  was  only  a  farmer 
and  nothing  more  who  poured  out  the  crimson  tide  of  his  life 
on  Lexington  green  as  a  willing  sacrifice  on  liberty's  altar,  who 
suffered  with  \\'ashington  amid  the  snows  of  Valley  Forge, 
and  who,  at  Saratoga,  Monmouth,  Bunker  Hill  and  Brandy- 


2  I  2  John  Bull's  Crime 

wine,  performed  deeds  of  valor  that  wedded  his  name  to  glory 
and  undying  fame. 

It  was  only  a  farmer  and  nothing  more  who  stood  with  brave 
old  Andrew  Jackson  behind  the  cotton  bales  at  New  Orleans 
and  taught  old  England  that  easier  were  it  to  hurl  the  rooted 
mountain  from  its  base  than  to  force  the  yoke  of  slavery  upon 
men  determined  to  be  free,  and  who  at  Chepultepec,  Palo  Alto, 
Cerro  Gordo  and  Buena  Vista  carried  the  banner  of  the  re- 
public to  triumph  and  glory. 

It  was  only  a  farmer  and  nothing  more  who  climbed 
the  sides  of  Mission  Ridge  over  shrieking  muskets,  belching 
cannon  and  valiant  men  to  pluck  the  flower  of  victory  that 
blossomed  upon  its  crest,  and  who  walked  above  the  clouds  on 
Lookout  mountain,  swept  down  the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah 
and  marched  as  a  conquering  host  from  Atlanta  to  the  sea. 

It  was  only  a  farmer  and  nothing  more  who  stood  like  a 
granite  wall  at  Gettysburg  as  the  mightiest  tidal  wave  of  war 
in  all  the  world  rolled  against  him  and  receding  left  him  the 
victorious  defender  of  the  Union  he  loved  so  well. 

Ah,  yes,  it  was  only  a  farmer  and  nothing  more  who  in  all 
the  battles  of  the  past  fought  bravely  for  the  old  flag  until 
finally  upon  its  staff  the  God  of  our  nation  brought  the  eagle 
of  victory  to  nestle  with  the  sweet  dove  of  peace. 

And  in  the  future,  as  in  the  past,  it  is  only  a  farmer  and 
nothing  more  that  will  be  the  safeguard  of  our  nation  and 
will  protect  our  republic  from  the  clutches  of  agents  of  selfish, 
greedy  monarchies,  and  still  more  selfish,  greedy  trust  owners, 
and  will  let  it  be  known  of  all  men,  that  liberty  has  erected  its 
altars  upon  our  mountains,  in  our  valleys,  on  our  spreading 
plains  and  amid  our  picturesque  woodlands,  and  the  weary,  de- 
serving pilgrim  from  every  land  and  clime  may  come  to  worship 


Orations 


2T3 


at  those  shrines  as  long  as  chivalry  girds  on  a  sword,  shrines 
where  patriotic  knees  will  bend  in  all  the  years  that  are  yet  to  be. 
I  believe  that  soon  we  shall  hear  a  mighty  host  from  the 
northland  and  the  southland,  from  valley  and  plain,  shouting 
their  jubilee  that  shall  be  heard  by  tyrants  upon  foreign  thrones 
and  by  peoples  in  the  islands  of  the  sea,  as  they  proclaim  the  vic- 
tory of  the  champion  of  the  people's  rights  and  liberty's  devo- 
tee. Shall  we  ask  then,  who  are  they  of  the  mighty  host 
that  sing  of  victory,  the  answer  shall  be :  Only  farmers  and 
nothing  more. 

Extract  of  a  speech  delivered  on  September  15th,  1900,  in 
the  Coliseum,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  the  occasion  being  a  great  mass 
meeting  in  honor  of  William  J.  Bryan,  candidate  for  President 
of  the  United  States,  who  also  delivered  an  address. 

The  colonial  system  of  Europe  must  not  be  established  in 
this  country.  And  we  are  compelled  now  to  put  ourselves  on 
record  at  the  coming  election  as  either  favoring  or  approving 
the  English  colonial  system.  The  Philippine  war  involves  the 
colonial  idea,  and  hence  the  colonial  question  arises  in  both 
cases.  If  it  is  right  for  us  to  subdue  the  Philippine  Islands,  it 
is  also  right  for  the  British  to  subdue  the  Boer  republics.  On 
the  other  hand,  if  the  acts  of  the  British  in  South  Africa  are 
wrong,  then  our  acts  at  Manila  are  also  wrong.  The  colonial 
tendency,  which  is  the  cause  of  both  wars,  must  be  checked.  It 
is  plain  to  every  liberty-loving  American  patriot  that  the  Brit- 
ish war  in  South  Africa  is  a  war  of  conquest  most  wickedly 
waged  against  an  innocent,  civilized.  God-fearing  and  liberty- 
loving  people,  citizens  of  two  little  republics  so  small  that  any 


2  14  John  Bull's  Crime 

self-respecting  nation  would  have  allowed  them  to  live  in  peace. 
It  is  false  to  represent  that  the  Boers  brought  on  the  war.  Those 
peace-loving  people,  who  many  times  before  had  been  driven 
from  their  homes  and  their  property  confiscated  by  the  British, 
well  knew  that  there  was  no  other  object  in  the  British  govern- 
ment massing  troops  near  the  border  of  the  South  African 
republics  than  to  make  a  war  of  conquest  and  to  annex  the 
republics  and  to  murder  men,  women  and  children  who  dared 
to  fight  for  home  and  independence.  The  British  government 
also  claims  to  be  waging  war  against  the  Boers  in  the  interest 
of  humanity  and  civilization,  just  as  our  government  claims 
to  be  waging  war  against  the  Filipinos  in  the  interest  of 
civilization  and  humanity. 

The  bond  of  sympathy  that  seems  to  exist  between  our  gov- 
ernment and  the  British  government  in  the  unholy  South 
African  war  is  emphasized  by  the  action  of  the  officials  of  the 
Department  of  the  Interior  in  permitting  the  bureau  of  educa- 
tion to  be  prostituted  to  the  purpose  of  issuing  therefrom  certain 
pamphlets  which  were  issued  by  the  Imperial  South  African 
Association  in  London  to  the  school  teachers  of  the  country 
for  the  purpose  not  only  of  prejudicing  their  minds,  but  the 
minds  of  the  children  under  their  instruction  in  the  interests 
of  Great  Britain  in  its  iniquitous  warfare  against  the  Boers, 
and  thus  trying  to  make  it  appear  that  their  war  against  the 
Boers  is  a  war  of  civilization.  The  object  of  the  interior  de- 
partment officials  in  permitting  this  infamous  scheme  to  be 
carried  on  through  their  department  was  for  the  purpose  of  cre- 
ating sympathy  for  the  British  nation  as  against  the  people  of 
the  two  South  African  republics.  The  object  evidently  was 
to  attempt  to  justify  the  attitude  of  this  administration  in  its 
secret  friendship  for  the  British  government.     This  conduct  on 


Orations  215 

the  part  of  the  interior  department  should  bring  the  blush  of 
shame  to  the  cheek  of  every  American  patriot  who  loves  his 
country  and  who  loves  a  republican  form  of  government  rather 
than  a  monarchy.  If  our  government  of^cials  are  permitted  to 
continue  these  practices,  as  sure  as  fate  England  will  drag  our 
people  into  her  jingo  adventures,  if  we  do  not  by  one  blow  cut 
asunder  the  whole  Anglo-American  humbug,  which  has  already 
cost  our  people  so  much.  What  is  needed  for  the  welfare  of 
generations  yet  to  be  and  the  welfare  of  this  greatest  republic 
in  all  the  world  is  a  series  of  death  blows  to  English  imperial- 
ism. The  brave,  heroic  Boers  in  South  Africa  are  doing  ex- 
cellent work  to  that  end  against  the  rotten  monarchy  of  Eng- 
land, by  all  odds  the  worst  and  most  dangerous  of  the  so-called 
great  powers  of  all  Europe.  Let  us  do  our  part  toward  adding 
additional  glory  and  honor  to  our  republic  that  will  be  a  bless- 
ing to  succeeding  generations  and  that  will  win  the  everlasting 
plaudits  of  peoples  struggling  for  freedom  and  independence 
e^'erywhere  throughout  the  world. 


Address  before  the  Jacksonian  club  at  their  annual  celebra- 
tion August  25th,  1900.  at  Omaha,  Nebraska.  An  address  was 
also  delivered  by  William  Jennings  Bryan  on  that  occasion. 

The  stream  of  time  is  strewn  with  the  wrecks  of  many  re- 
publics. Some  of  them  arose  in  splendor  that  made  the  world 
look  amazed  and  astonished,  but,  finally  yielding  to  the  influ- 
ences of  the  natural  enemy  of  all  republics,  they  halted  on  their 
march  and  went  down  into  oblivion,  and  now  live  only  in  song. 
The  antiquarian  digs  and  delves  amid  the  ruins  of  their  historic 
capitals  to  find  some  relics  for  the  pastime  and  instruction  of 
succeeding  generations.    And  as  we  to-day  watch  the  progress 


21 6  John  Bull's  Crime 

of  events  and  note  the  strange  and  unholy  influence  exerted 
over  our  own  repubhc  by  the  greatest  enemy  of  repubHcs  in 
all  tlie  world,  may  we  not  be  afraid?  and  may  we  not  be 
anxious  about  the  future?  By  this  enemy  I  mean  England  and 
the  English  aristocracy.  They  have  no  use  for  republics  now, 
and  never  have  had  in  all  the  past  centuries.  The  only  excuse 
to-day  that  the  British  government  has  for  sending  three  hun- 
dred thousand  soldiers  to  South  Africa  is  to  crush  the  life  out  of 
the  poor  little  republics  and  to  rob  and  murder  a  mere  hand- 
ful of  brave  men  and  women  and  helpless  children  w'ho  dare  to 
fight  for  liberty,  justice  and  independence.  Yet  notwithstand- 
ing all  this,  certain  citizens  of  the  greatest  republic  in  all  the 
world  cringe  and  fawn  before  this  selfish,  greedy  English  bully, 
and  like  servile  curs,  lick  his  boots,  bespattered  as  they  are  with 
the  blood  of  men  who  died  fighting  that  two  little  sister  re- 
publics might  live  on  to  bless  mankind.  Ask  these  American- 
British  sympathizers  why  they  bend  the  knee  to  arrogant, 
haughty  John  Bull,  and  their  reply  is  that  he  was  "  so  friendly 
to  us  in  our  recent  war  with  Spain."  The  facts  are  that  the 
British  government  knew  full  well  that  the  Spanish  army  and 
navy  were  no  match  for  our  own  army  and  navy  and  they 
wanted  to  be  on  the  winning  side.  Again,  the  British  govern- 
ment was  planning  to  crush  the  South  African  republics  and 
steal  their  diamond  and  gold  fields,  and  without  the  friendship 
of  this  republic  the  British  government  knew  full  well  that  it 
could  not  carry  out  its  hellish  schemes.  At  Cape  Town  a  short 
time  ago  I  met  Sir  Edward  Chichester,  who  commanded  the 
British  warship  Immortalite  at  Manila  Bay,  and  I  asked  him, 
'•  What  did  you  do  for  us  at  the  Battle  of  Manila?  "  He  an- 
swered, "  Not  a  thing  l:)ut  to  keep  absolutely  neutral."  When 
he  said  that,  I  could  not  keep  from  thinking  that  if  our  own 


Orations  217 

government  had  maintained  absolute  neutrality  between  the 
contestants  in  South  Africa  the  war  there  would  be  over  now, 
for  certainly  some  foreign  power  would  long  ago  have  inter- 
vened in  behalf  of  the  heroic  defenders  of  the  republics.  It  is 
singular  how  it  was  possible  for  the  hollow  pretension  of  friend- 
ship on  the  part  of  the  British  government  toward  our  country 
to  fool  some  of  our  people  so  easily.  That  friendship  was  not 
sincere.  For  did  not  the  Englishmen  in  Cape  Colony,  many  of 
them  sons  of  the  nobility,  gather  together  in  clubs  and  public 
places  and  drink  Scotch  whiskey  and  soda,  their  favorite  bever- 
age, to  the  success  of  the  Spanish  arms  at  the  time  war  was 
declared  between  the  United  States  and  Spain  ?  But  as  soon 
as  they  heard  of  the  Battles  of  Manila  and  Santiago,  they  then 
forthwith  drank  to  the  health  of  the  United  States.  And  did 
not  our  consul  general  at  Cape  Town  give  a  dinner  to  the 
American  residents  of  that  city  on  the  Fourth  of  July  before 
our  war  with  Spain?  and  to  that  dinner  the  great  British  em- 
pire builder,  the  man  who  had  boasted  that  the  republics  of 
South  Africa  shall  be  erased  from  the  map  and  that  the  British 
flag  shall  wave  from  Cairo  to  the  Cape,  Cecil  J.  Rhodes,  was 
invited.  But  that  noble  lord  of  creation,  he  whose  heart  is 
harder  than  the  diamonds  stolen  from  the  Boers,  did  not  so 
much  as  acknowledge  that  invitation  on  the  part  of  the  repre- 
sentative of  this  great  republic.  But,  after  our  victory  over  the 
Spaniards  was  known,  tlien  this  same  empire  builder  and  re- 
public hater  hastened  to  tell  the  American  consul  what  a  great 
country  he  represented.  The  truth  of  the  matter  was  that  he 
knew  the  British  programme  in  the  Orange  Free  State  and  the 
Transvaal  could  ne\-er  be  carried  out  if  the  same  American 
army  and  the  same  American  navy  that  shook  the  Spanish 
throne  to  its  very  foundation  should  speak  through  their  com- 


21 8  John  Bull's  Crime 

mander-in-chief  and  say  that  the  repubHcs  of  South  Africa 
must  not  be  destroyed,  but  that  they  must  Hve  on  and  on  and 
that  in  them  hberty,  equahty  and  fair  play  shaU  and  must  have 
an  eternal  abiding  place. 

But  someone  asks,  "  Shall  we  make  war  against  England  in 
behalf  of  the  two  South  African  republics?"  I  answer,  No; 
that  would  not  be  necessary.  It  would  have  been  sufficient  long 
ago  had  our  government  made  known  to  the  world  that  the 
British  boast  of  a  secret  understanding  between  our  government 
and  the  British  government  in  case  of  intervention  in  behalf  of 
the  Boers  by  any  of  the  great  foreign  powers  was  a  wicked  and 
malicious  lie.  But  this  was  not  done.  On  the  contrary  we  have 
remained  idle  and  cjuiet  while  Joseph  Chamberlain  of  England 
has  made  the  statement  frequently  in  public  addresses  that  there 
was  an  understanding  between  his  government  and  ours.  And 
the  British  officials  and  the  agents  of  the  British  press  in 
Europe  and  Africa  have  frequently  made  the  same  boast  and 
have  held  our  country  up  as  a  menace  to  foreign  powers.  These 
facts,  together  with  the  fact  that  many  ship-loads  of  mules, 
horses  and  food  stuffs  have  been  sold  from  this  country  to  the 
British  army,  while  the  seizure  of  one  ship-load  of  food  stuffs 
consigned  to  the  Boer  army  by  the  British  war  vessels  was  suf- 
fered and  endured  without  scarcely  a  murmur  on  the  part  of 
our  government !  And  when  we  remember  that  the  British 
press  contained  a  glowing  account  of  how,  when  the  gallant 
Boer  General  Cronje,  with  less  than  four  thousand  farmers,  with 
only  four  old  cannon  and  two  Alaxim  guns,  after  bravely  hold- 
ing out  for  six  days  against  the  flower  of  the  British  army, 
consisting  of  more  than  forty  thousand  men  with  one  hundred 
of  the  finest  and  most  powerful  cannon  in  the  world,  and  com- 
manded by  the  greatest  general  in  the  British  Empire,  was  com- 


Orations  219 

pelled  to  surrender,  then  it  was  that  the  American  flag,  accord- 
ing to  British  journals,  was  unfurled  upon  the  British  govern- 
ment building  at  Durban,  in  the  British  colony  of  Natal,  by  the 
side  of  the  British  flag,  to  celebrate  the  surrender  of  poor 
Cronje,  the  champion  of.  liberty  and  the  heroic  defender  of  two 
republics.  All  these  things,  when  considered  in  connection 
with  the  Hay-Pauncefote  treaty,  which  meant  the  surrender  of 
American  rights  and  interests,  have  a  tendency  to  make  us 
feel  that  our  government  has  not  maintained  absolute  neutral- 
ity between  the  contestants  struggling  in  South  Africa.  It  will 
not  be  forgotten  by  the  millions  of  loyal  Irish  people  of  this 
country  whose  ancestors  starved  and  died  for  liberty  in  their 
beloved  land,  their  Emerald  Isle.  They  will  not  forget  the 
countless  helpless  women  and  children  wiio  suffered  under  the 
iron  heel  of  English  tyranny.  Xor  will  it  be  forgotten  by  the 
countless  throng  of  German-Americans  who  sympathize  with 
their  brethren,  the  Dutch  of  South  Africa,  who  hate  militarism 
and  imperialism  and  love  justice  and  liberty.  And  it  will  not 
be  forgotten  by  our  citizens  whose  ancestry  was  the  same  with 
that  of  the  Boers.  Upon  the  cheek  of  every  American  patriot;^ 
native  or  naturalized,  the  blush  of  shame  must  appear  as  he 
contemplates  this  strange  attitude  of  our  government,  and  real- 
izing that  this  great  country  is  his  country,  and  that  he  has  a 
personal  proprietorship  in  tlie  honor  of  its  name  and  the  glory 
of  its  free  institutions,  he  must  feel  it  a  duty  to  rise  above  the 
slimy  vale  of  partisan  prejudice,  hate  and  malice,  up  to  the 
higher  level  of  patriotism  and  love  of  country  and  boldly  stand 
forth  a  free  man.  and  with  a  freeman's  ballot — the  most  power- 
ful weapon  known  to  man — enter  the  lists  as  the  fearless  cham- 
pion of  liberty,  equality  and  justice.  Let  human  justice  reflect 
divine  justice  as  the  quiet  lake  the  star. 


220  John  Bull's  Crime 

The  liberty-loving  Boers  are  just  as  good  as  our  people,  the 
British  subsidized  press  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding.  And 
I  rejoice  to  know  that  every  political  party  in  America  except 
one  has  had  the  nerve  and  courage  to  sympathize  with  the 
people  of  the  two  republics  as  against  a  selfish,  grasping  mon- 
archy. When  the  three  distinguished  men  from  the  Orange 
Free  State  and  the  Transvaal  Republic  came  to  this  country 
as  an  envoy  to  represent  their  republics,  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  our  government  how  badly  their  people  had  been  mis- 
represented by  the  British  government,  how  only  the  British 
side  of  the  controversy  had  been  published  to  the  world,  and 
how  the  British  government  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  it  had 
control  of  the  cables  and  the  mails,  and  by  the  most  inhuman 
censorship,  had  kept  everything  pertaining  to  the  Boer  side  of 
the  controversy  from  getting  into  the  public  press,  they  called 
at  the  state  department  in  Washington  for  the  purpose  of  ap- 
prising the  Secretary  of  State  of  the  actual  condition  of  affairs. 
The  envoy  was  composed  of  men  who  occupied  the  same  posi- 
tions in  their  repul)lics  that  our  cabinet  officials  do  in  this  coun- 
try, men  of  integrity,  and  men  of  splendid  ability,  true  men — 
patriots,  lovers  of  liberty  and  justice.  How  were  these  repre- 
sentatives of  two  sister  republics  received  by  the  representa- 
tive of  the  greatest  republic  in  the  world?  I  will  tell  you. 
Soon  after  they  were  ushered  into  the  presence  of  the  Secretary 
of  State  and  before  they  could  possibly  tell  their  simple  story  of 
British  cruelty,  inhumanity  and  injustice,  before  they  could  tell 
their  mission  in  the  interest  of  men,  women  and  children  who 
vv-ere  fighting  and  dying  for  liberty  and  a  republican  form  of 
government,  the  Secretary  of  State  drew  from  his  pocket  a  type- 
written document  and  proceeded  to  read  it  to  the  astonished 


412  CONGRESS  91*^^ 


Orations  221 

Boer  representatives  as  the  course  the  administration  had  de- 
termined to  take  in  their  cause.  While  he  was  doing  this  the 
British  ambassador  at  Washington  sat  peacefully  and  con- 
tentedly in  the  adjoining  room.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  great 
tears  stood  in  the  eyes  of  those  republicans  from  South  Africa 
when  they  returned  to  their  hotel  in  Washington?  Is  it  any 
wonder  if  multiplied  thousands  of  American  freemen  who  love 
justice  and  fair  play  will  turn  against  a  party  that  will  not  even 
place  a  word  of  sympathy  for  Uberty-loving  people  in  their  plat- 
form, and  will  not  even  so  much  as  maintain  absolute  neutral- 
ity between  a  selfish  monarchy  and  two  little  republics?  Ab- 
solute neutrality  would  mean  like  treatment  for  both  contest- 
ants. In  the  language  of  one  of  the  Boer  leaders,  "  Against 
the  farmers  of  the  South  African  republics  are  arrayed  the 
powder  of  numbers  thirsting  for  blood  and  revenge,  all  the  forces 
which  the  spirit  of  robbery  and  spoliation  alone  can  muster. 
The  cordon  has  been  drawn  closer  and  closer  around  them.  As 
the  wounded  buck  soon  notices  the  approach  of  the  lion,  the  fox 
and  the  vulture,  so  they  see  themselves  surrounded  by  the  de- 
ceit, the  revenge,  the  hatred  and  avarice  of  their  enemies.  Even 
Xerxes  marching  with  his  millions  against  little  Greece  pre- 
sents to  astonished  mankind  no  stranger  spectacle  than  this 
great  brutal  British  bully  in  all  his  power  and  wealth,  with  a 
countless  horde  of  bloodthirsty  minions,  approaching  with 
gleaming  knife  this  little  babe  crawling  in  the  dust — the  infant' 
republic.  This  is  not  war ;  it  is  child  murder.  And  as  the 
reason  of  the  spectator  stops  dumfounded  at  this  spectacle  and 
his  brain  refuses  to  think,  there  rises  before  him  as  in  a  dream 
the  scene  of  Bantu  children  playing  in  the  gardens  and  ruins 
of  the  sunny  South,   around  thousands  of  graves  in  which  the 


222  John  Bull's  Crime 

children  of  Europe's  heroes  of  faith  and  freedom  sleep  for- 
ever. And  the  marauding  bands  of  the  Bantu  roam  once  more 
where  the  homestead  of  the  white  man  had  stood  for  awhile. 
And  as  he  asks  why  all  this  has  happened,  why  the  heroic  chil- 
dren of  a  hero-race,  to  which  civilization  owed  its  most  price- 
less treasures,  have  been  murdered  in  this  far-off  continent,  an 
invisible  mock  spirit  replies:  'Civilization  is  a  failure;  the 
Caucasian  is  played  out.'  And  then  he  awakens  with  the  sound 
of  the  word  :    Gold !  Gold  !  Gold !  in  his  ears. 

"  The  orchids  of  Birmingham  are  yellow. 

"  The  traditions  of  the  greatest  empire  of  the  world  are 
faded  and  yellow. 

"  The  laurels  which  British  legions  seek  in  South  Africa  are 
yellow. 

"  But  the  heavens  which  spread  their  firmament  over  South 
A.frica  remain  blue  forever.  That  justice  to  which  Piet  Retief 
appealed  when  our  forefathers  bade  farewell  to  the  Old  Colony, 
to  which  Joachim  Prinsloo  appealed  in  the  Volksraad  of  Natal 
when  England  illegally  annexed  it,  to  which  our  burghers  in- 
trusted their  cause  at  Paardekraal  in  1880,  abides  unchangeable 
as  a  rock  against  which  the  raging  weaves  of  British  diplomacy 
only  dash  themselves  to  pieces. 

"  According  to  eternal  laws  this  justice  works  on,  unmoved 
by  human  pride  or  passion.  As  the  old  Greek  tragic  poet  ex- 
pressed it,  this  justice  allows  the  tyrant  in  his  arrogant  insolence 
to  rise  ever  higher  and  higher  and  to  gain  even  greater  honor 
and  power  until  he  reaches  his  fatal  summit,  and  then  he  dashes 
down  into  the  unfathomable  abyss ! 

"  Our  forefathers  did  not  blanch  before  the  Spanish  Inquisi- 
tion, but  began  the  great  struggle  for  freedom  and  right,  even 


ALLEN'S  CIRCUIATING  I 


Orations 


223 


against  the  mighty  Philip,  regardless  of  all  consequences,  and 
in  full  faith  in  the  cause  for  which  they  fought.  Even  the  tor- 
ture and  the  bloodhounds  of  Louis  XIV.  were  unable  to  tame 
or  break  the  spirit  of  our  forefathers.  Did  Alva  or  Richelieu 
succeed  in  making  the  spirit  of  tyranny  triumph  over  their  as- 
piration for  freedom  and  independence?  Still  less  will  Cham- 
berlain succeed  in  establishing  the  tyranny  by  capitalism  over 
us,  their  descendants. 

"  If  it  is  our  fate  in  spite  of  our  insignificance  to  be  the  first 
among  the  nations  to  commence  the  struggle  against  this  new 
world  tyrant  of  capitalism,  we  are  ready,  even  though  that 
tyrant  is  backed  up  by  all  the  force  of  jingoism. 

"The  hope  which  in  1880  burned  in  us,  and  in  which  we 
prepared  ourselves  for  the  great  struggle  of  liberty,  remains 
now  also  inextinguishable  in  our  hearts,  and  is  to  us  a  beacon 
of  light  on  the  path  which  leads  through  blood  and  tears  to  the 
goal  of  a  truly  United  South  Africa. 

"Even  as  in  1880,  'we  lay  our  whole  case  with  full  con- 
fidence before  the  world.  Wliether  we  conquer  or  whether  we 
die,  freedom  shall  rise  in  South  Africa  as  the  sun  rises  from  the 
morning  clouds,  as  freedom  rose  in  the  United  States  of  North 
America.     Thus  shall  it  be  from  Zambesi  to  Simon's  Bay.'  " 

Should  not  such  words  as  these  appeal  to  all  who  love  fair 
play  and  who  admire  courage  and  chivalry  ?  Should  they  not 
stimulate  us  to  noble  efforts  in  behalf  of  those  brave  people  who 
love  independence  and  freedom  well  enough  to  risk  every 
hazard  in  their  defense  ? 

How  often  in  this  life  do  we  realize  its  brevity?  Money  and 
power  soon  pass  away.  Fame  is  but  the  will-o'-the-wisp  of  an 
overheated  imagination.     The  sweet  lullaby  heard  by  the  baby 


2  24  John  Bull's  Crime 

boy  upon  his  mother's  knee  is  soon  replaced  by  the  solemn  fu- 
neral dirge  for  the  old  white-haired  man  as  he  is  laid  to  rest  in 
the  quiet  cemetery.  And  in  this  world  each  fond  ideal  that 
gleams  like  a  star  on  life's  wave  is  soon  wrecked  on  the  shores  of 
the  real  and  soon  sleeps  like  a  dream  in  a  grave.  This  being  true 
we  have  only  time  in  this  life  to  do  something  for  our  country's 
glory,  and  something,  however  small  it  may  be,  for  the  better- 
ment of  the  conditions  of  our  fellowmen.  Then  let  us  sympa- 
thize for  people  struggling  for  liberty  not  only  in  South  Africa, 
but  in  Cuba,  Porto  Rico  and  in  the  far  away  Philippines.  Let 
us  also  do  all  we  can  for  those  who  suffer  in  our  own  republic 
— the  republic  of  our  fathers.  Let  us  so  live  and  so  toil  that 
the  world  will  be  better  for  our  having  lived  in  it.  And  let  the 
sincere  prayer  of  every  American  patriot  ever  be : 

Wheresoever  our  destiny  sends  forth 
Its   widening  circles   to  the   south  or   north, 
Where'er  our  banner  flaunts  beneath  the  stars 
Its  mimic  splendors  and  its  cloudlike  bars, 
There  shall   free  labor's  hardy  children  stand 
The  equal  sovereigns  of  a  freeman's  land. 

Patriotism  is  a  virtue  that  should  spring  eternal  in  the  breast 
of  every  true  American.  And  whenever  the  perpetuity  of  our 
free  institutions  is  endangered,  whenever  those  in  power  seek 
to  follow  after  strange  gods,  and,  yielding  to  the  fulsome  flat- 
tery of  foreign  tyrants,  imitate  the  policies  of  rotten  mon- 
archies, it  is  high  time  for  all  patriots  old  and  young  who 
love  the  land  of  their  fathers — the  republic  of  Washington  and 
Jefferson,  of  Jackson,  of  Lincoln  and  of  Grant — to  stand  to- 
gether, and,  catching  the  spirit  that  breathes  upon  them  from 
the  battlefields  of  the  nation,  resolve  that  though  men  may  come 


Orations 


225 


and  men  may  go,  yet  the  republic  goes  on  forever.  Hail,  all 
hail !  the  glorious  day  when  the  proudest  boast  of  men  heard 
in  all  the  world  shall  be,  "I  am  an  American,"  for — 

Among  the  nations  born. 

Greater  than  them  all  we  stand, 
More  rich  in  wheat  and  corn, 

More  blest  by  God    our  Father's  hand, 
And  none  titled  nobler  than  the  man 
Who  is  but  an  American. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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